Shaheen Afridi on Babar and Saim before Pakistan vs Sri Lanka: 'no pressure on Babar, he is our main player'

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka opens the ODI tri-series at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday 18 October, and on the eve of it captain Shaheen Shah Afridi gave his clearest backing yet to Babar Azam and Saim Ayub.

At the captains' press conference in Rawalpindi on Saturday, Shaheen said Babar is "under no pressure" and described him as "our main player and the backbone of our team", ARY News reported. Dawn quoted him saying the team's shared aim is the 2027 World Cup in South Africa: "We are united as a team and our collective focus is towards winning the World Cup and how we can do it."

Why Babar's form is the question

The numbers explain why reporters asked. In the Test series against England, Babar passed 50 once, with 76, and his other scores were 8, 6 and 7. He then went back to the President's Trophy Grade-I to find form and made 12, 4, 21 and 21, according to ARY News.

His last ODI series tells a different story. Against Australia at home in June he scored 125 runs in three innings at an average of 41.66, with a top score of 69, second only to Josh Inglis (129) in that series. Shaheen pointed to that home record and said younger players "learn a lot from him". Babar is also Pakistan's Test captain.

Saim Ayub gets a run in ODIs

Saim Ayub, the opener who now bowls as an all-rounder, has struggled in T20 and Test cricket. Shaheen, as quoted by Dawn, drew a line under that: "But as far as one-day cricket is concerned, we really need him. If we keep giving him opportunities, he will thrive for Pakistan."

Three or four quicks on greener pitches

Dawn reported that the tri-series pitches are being prepared to resemble South African conditions, with more lateral movement and bounce than the slow, spin-friendly surfaces Pakistan won on at home over the past year. Shaheen said Pakistan could play three or four fast bowlers depending on conditions.

Shaheen has led the ODI side for about a year, after taking over from Mohammad Rizwan.

Trophy unveiled, full schedule

The three captains, Shaheen, England's Harry Brook and Sri Lanka's Kusal Mendis, unveiled the trophy at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Saturday. Each team plays the other two twice and the top two reach the final, ARY News reported:

Start times, squads and where to watch are on our Pakistan tri-series schedule and results page, which we update after every match.

Islamabad traffic diversions for team movement

If you are driving in Islamabad over the series, Islamabad Traffic Police have announced temporary diversions on the Islamabad Expressway and Srinagar Highway (between Serena Chowk and Ninth Avenue) whenever the teams move. ITP's suggested alternatives, as reported by ARY News:

• Srinagar Highway traffic: Suhrawardy Road, G-8 and G-9 service roads
• To Zero Point and Faizabad: Faisal Avenue
• To Ninth Avenue: Service Road East
• Koral to Islamabad: Old Airport Road, Rawal Road, Murree Road, IJP Road and Faqir Aipee Road
• Bhara Kahu to Islamabad: Bani Gala Road and Park Road
• Leaving Islamabad: Jinnah Avenue and Margalla Road

ITP asked commuters to allow an extra 20 to 25 minutes. Planning the trip to the stadium by car? Our fuel cost calculator works out the petrol bill at today's price.