Pakistan vs. England, 1st ODI: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview
Pakistan and England switch from Test to limited-overs mode when they get their four-match ODI series underway on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
The day-night clash at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium offers the touring England side the chance for immediate revenge, having been beaten 2-0 in the recent Test series.
England captain Eoin Morgan is one of a number of fresh faces who have flown out for the one-dayers.
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However, Pakistan—now led by Azhar Ali—are on a roll in 50-over cricket. They have recorded series wins over Zimbabwe (twice) and Sri Lanka since being swept 3-0 by Bangladesh back in April.
Date: Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Time: 3 p.m. local (11 a.m. GMT, 6 a.m. ET)
Venue: Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Live Stream and TV Info: Sky Sports (UK), PTV (Pakistan), SuperSport (South Africa), Ten Sports (Bangladesh), NowTV (UK Streaming Service)
Weather: According to AccuWeather.com, the sun will be out for the start of the game. There is a possibility of rain during the evening, but the bad weather may not arrive in time to cause disruptions.
Overview
The last time England lost to Pakistan in a Test series in the United Arab Emirates, they bounced back in style to sweep the one-dayers that followed.
The four-match series in 2012 was dominated by three touring players: Alastair Cook, Steven Finn and Kevin Pietersen.
Batsmen Cook and Pietersen—who opened the innings—both hit two centuries apiece, while seam bowler Finn picked up 13 wickets at an average of 10.30.
However, the trio are not part of the 2015 touring party. Cook has been dethroned as captain, Pietersen finds himself in the international wilderness and Finn has been ruled out with a foot injury.
As well as Finn, Mark Wood has also had to drop out of England's initial squad. According to BBC Sport, he will see a specialist over a longstanding ankle problem that could require surgery.
Chris Jordan and Liam Plunkett were called up as replacements, though neither were involved in England's only warm-up game, a 161-run win over Hong Kong on Sunday.
Victory may have come at a cost, though. Wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler hurt his ring finger and is a doubt for Wednesday's opener, per Paul Newman of the Mail.
Jonny Bairstow will take over behind the stumps if Buttler—who was dropped from England's side for the third and final Test against Pakistan following a run of poor form with the bat—is ruled out.
Having opened in the Tests against Pakistan with little success, Moeen Ali will drop down the batting order for the one-dayers. He came in at seven against Hong Kong and proceeded to smash 72 from 36 deliveries.
While Moeen and Adil Rashid will provide England's spin threat, it remains to be seen who is picked to open the bowling.
Left-arm duo Reece Topley and David Willey were selected against Hong Kong. Chris Woakes also played, but choosing one, or even both, of Jordan and Plunkett would give the lineup a little extra pace.
Pakistan, meanwhile, last played in the 50-over format in October, recording a 2-1 series victory over Zimbabwe.
The selectors have recalled Younis Khan, with the veteran batsman named in a 16-man squad.
Younis has not featured for his country in 50-over action since the Cricket World Cup. He scored 43 runs in three innings, with 37 of them coming against South Africa in his final match before being dropped.
However, the right-handed batsman did hit an ODI century at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium last year. His knock of 103 came in a losing cause against New Zealand.
"Keeping in view his current form, Younis Khan has been included in the squad to land stability to the middle-order batting," Pakistan's chief selector Haroon Rashid said, per ESPN Cricinfo.
Having been picked in the first place, it seems unlikely Younis will then be left out of the starting XI.
Returning captain Azhar Ali also needs to be accommodated in the batting order, having missed the end of the last series against Zimbabwe due to a foot injury.
As for the bowling unit, leg-spinner Yasir Shah—who claimed 15 wickets against England in the Test series, despite missing the first match with a back spasm—will continue to cause problems for the tourists.
Left-arm off-spinner Zafar Gohar could be handed an international debut after being picked in the squad.
England have at least seen the 20-year-old before—he played for Pakistan A in a pair of tour games before the Tests got underway.
Key Players
Pakistan
Spin will be seen as the key factor for Pakistan, but paceman Wahab Riaz can set up his slow bowlers by making early inroads against an England batting order that will be aggressive from the outset.
The left-armer is not just a threat up front, though, as he is able to get reverse swing when the ball gets older.
He takes a wicket every 31.9 balls in one-day cricket for his country and showed with his spell against Australia in the Cricket World Cup that there is still a place for hostile bowling in the shorter formats.
England
Opening the batting in English conditions can be tricky. Alex Hales found that out against Australia during the summer, averaging a meagre 10.60 in the five-match series that England lost 3-2.
However, conditions in the UAE should be more to the right-hander's liking. The pitches will be flat and pace on the ball in the early overs will allow Hales to demonstrate his talents.
Having missed out on playing in the Test series, the batsman should be eager to impress in coloured clothing.
Squads
Pakistan
Azhar Ali (captain), Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Sarfraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Anwar Ali, Aamer Yamin, Yasir Shah, Zafar Gohar, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Irfan, Rahat Ali, Bilal Asif.
England
Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, James Taylor, Reece Topley, David Willey, Chris Woakes.
All statistics used in the preview are from ESPN Cricinfo.
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