England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka begin ODI tri-series as World Cup preparation

Pakistan face Sri Lanka in the opening match on October 18. England begin their campaign two days later against Pakistan. The top two teams after the round-robin stage will contest the final at Lahore.

TechRadar reported that England's squad mixes youth and experience. Uncapped James Coles and Henry Crocombe are included alongside captain Harry Brook, Joe Root and returning Adil Rashid. Leg-spinner Mason Crane could make his first international appearance in any format for more than eight years after being recalled, while Jos Buttler and Jacob Bethell miss out through injury.

Pakistan's squad includes Babar Azam, captain Shaheen Afridi and Razaullah, who scored 81 from No. 9 and took four wickets on his international debut in the third Test against England at Edgbaston last month. Sri Lanka's 16-man squad is captained by Kusal Mendis, who averaged 66 in the recent 2-1 ODI series defeat in England. Sachindu Colombage is also in the squad after his unorthodox wrist-spin caught the eye in England.

For viewers, TechRadar reported that Tapmad will stream the series free in Pakistan, requiring only an account and no enhanced subscription. In the US, Willow TV will show every game, with access through Sling TV's Desi Binge Plus or Dakshin Flex plans starting from $10 per month. In the UK, Sky Sports secured a late deal for all seven matches, with England's matches on Sky Sports Main Event; Sky Sports plans start from £35 per month, or £22 for existing Sky subscribers, while Now Sports costs from £14.99 per day or £26.99 per month.

In India, Sony Sports Network will televise the series and Sony LIV will stream it; Sony LIV plans start at ₹599 for a mobile-only yearly plan and ₹999 for a premium yearly plan. In Australia, Fox Cricket via Foxtel will show selected games, with streaming through Kayo Sports, whose subscriptions start at AU$30 per month after a seven-day free trial or AU$1 for the first month.