Pakistan win toss, elect to field against England in Lahore

Pakistan won the toss and elected to field against England in the fourth match of the tri-nation ODI series at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday, with a victory securing the hosts a place in the final.

Pakistan captain Shaheen Afridi announced two changes to the side, with debutant Razaullah replacing the injured Naseem Shah, who hurt his finger during the warm-up, while Shadab Khan returned to the team in place of Faheem Ashraf.

Shaheen said an additional spinner had been included to strengthen the bowling attack.

Pakistan have won their opening two matches against Sri Lanka and England, while England have lost both their games.

Sunday’s match is being observed as Pink Day to raise awareness about breast cancer, with Pakistan wearing pink kits.

Earlier, talking to the media, Shaheen backed out-of-form batters Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman, saying the team would not drop either player.

He said Pakistan were benefiting from Saim’s bowling despite his recent struggles with the bat and added that the team would aim to secure another win against England in Lahore.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board released spinner Sufiyan Muqeem from the tri-series squad and named Maaz Sadaqat as his replacement to improve the team’s balance.