\n<\/p>\n
Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman says the upcoming tri-series against Sri Lanka and England will provide an important opportunity to test combinations ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup.<\/p>\n
Pakistan begin their campaign against Sri Lanka at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday, with England completing the three-team tournament before next year\u2019s World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.<\/p>\n
Fakhar said Pakistan were excited about the challenge and had already begun planning for the global event, although some of their preparations would remain private.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are a lot of plans regarding the tri-series, some of which you cannot make public,\u201d he told reporters on Friday.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have all the plans for the World Cup in the back of our mind, so we will try to do well in this tri-nation series and also build a combination because we are playing one-day matches after a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pakistan\u2019s squad combines experienced players such as Babar Azam, Salman Ali Agha and captain Shaheen Shah Afridi with younger options including Saim Ayub, Hasan Nawaz and wicketkeeper Saad Baig.<\/p>\n
Fakhar, Pakistan\u2019s only double centurion in men\u2019s one-day internationals, believes the players\u2019 recent first-class cricket experience will help them adjust to the demands of the 50-over format.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe best thing about the combination is that all the boys are coming after playing the first-class season. So everyone is in rhythm,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you play first-class cricket, then 50 overs does not seem that long to you, and when you play T20 regularly, then it seems a little long.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pakistan have enjoyed encouraging results in recent ODI series, sweeping Sri Lanka 3-0 at home in November 2025 and beating South Africa 2-1 before defeating Australia by the same margin at home in May and June 2026. They lost 2-1 away to Bangladesh in March.<\/p>\n
Fakhar said the team understood the pressure on senior players to perform, acknowledging that criticism came with the territory when results fell short of expectations.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you perform, you get appreciation from fans. When you don\u2019t do well, then it is natural that things don\u2019t feel good,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Pakistan have reached major tournament finals and semi-finals in recent years but have struggled to turn those appearances into titles.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are excited right now, and we definitely have this thought in the back of our mind that it has been a long time since we have won a big event,\u201d Fakhar said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe happiness that you get as a nation after winning the trophy, you don\u2019t get that kind of happiness no matter how many finals or semi-finals you play.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n