Four wickets in the powerplay put Pakistan in control before Ben Duckett and Sam Curran briefly halted England’s collapse.
Innings break: England 241 (Ben Duckett 105, Sam Curran 42; Shaheen Afridi 4-46) vs Pakistan
Shaheen Shah Afridi spearheaded Pakistan’s bowling attack as England were bowled out for 241 in fewer than 47 overs at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Sunday, October 25, 2026.
Pakistan took control early by claiming four wickets in the first Powerplay. Ben Duckett and Sam Curran briefly stabilised the innings with a 92-run fifth-wicket partnership, but England collapsed again after their stand was broken.
Duckett provided the innings’ outstanding contribution, scoring 105 for his seventh ODI century. His composed knock stood in sharp contrast to the struggles of his teammates, leaving him with little support as England failed to build a competitive total.
Pakistan, wearing pink to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Day, won the toss for the first time in the series and elected to bowl.
Afridi struck in the opening over, dismissing the in-form Tom Banton with a tame scoop that went to short cover. The wicket also brought up Afridi’s 150th in one-day internationals.
Joe Root fell in the following over, slicing Afridi’s delivery towards backward point, where Saim Ayub took a sharp, low catch.
England’s problems deepened when Harry Brook was run out after attempting a risky second run. He slipped slightly on the fresh grass, and Razaullah’s powerful throw caught him short of his crease.
Jordan Cox then edged Afridi to first slip after a brief innings, leaving England reeling at 53 for four.
Duckett and Curran responded with a determined partnership. Duckett maintained an aggressive approach despite witnessing the early collapse from the non-striker’s end. He attacked Razaullah, negotiated Afridi’s spell and scored at better than a run a ball to keep England’s scoring rate moving.
The pair quickly took Ayub out of the attack and worked through the middle overs against Salman Agha and Shadab Khan. They carried England past 100 and brought up a half-century partnership before appearing to set the platform for a stronger finish.
Afridi returned to break the stand, using short-pitched bowling to unsettle Curran, who eventually miscued a delivery and was caught. The dismissal gave Pakistan the opening they needed to regain control.
Duckett continued to resist and reached his century with a drive down the ground against Arafat Minhas, who had been introduced only in the 29th over.
Minhas dismissed Duckett in the following over, with a top edge looping to Salman Agha behind square. He then removed Jamie Overton, while Razaullah dismissed Liam Dawson with an excellent catch off his own bowling.
With England nearing the end of their innings at just over 200, Gus Atkinson provided some late resistance. He struck several powerful shots to help add 40 runs for the 10th wicket, the second-highest partnership of England’s innings.
However, the late contribution could not undo the damage caused by Pakistan’s early strikes and subsequent breakthroughs. England finished on 241, with Afridi leading the attack with figures of four for 46.
