England faced a disappointing 87-run defeat in their ODI tri-series opener against Pakistan in Rawalpindi, struggling to chase a target of 303 runs after a promising start.

The match began with England looking strong at 91-0 within the first 15 overs. However, they faltered dramatically, ultimately being bowled out for 215 in 38.4 overs. Arafat Minhas emerged as the standout performer for Pakistan, taking 6 wickets for 40 runs while also contributing a crucial half-century earlier in the innings.

Key moments in the match included:

• Harry Brook (5) was bowled by Arafat, disrupting England's momentum.
• Both openers, Ben Duckett and Tom Banton, scored 47 runs each but failed to convert their starts into bigger innings.
• A vital partnership of 31 runs between Joe Root (33) and Sam Curran (27) was broken, leading to a collapse.
• Arafat Minhas achieved a hat-trick by dismissing Will Jacks (19) and Adil Rashid (1) in consecutive balls, before running out Gus Atkinson (7) to secure victory for Pakistan.

Looking ahead, England will face Sri Lanka at the same venue on Thursday at 9 am UK time. The tri-series format will see each team play against one another twice, culminating in a final in Lahore on October 31. Earlier in the tournament, Pakistan had already secured a 37-run victory over Sri Lanka.