Pakistan vs England 4th ODI Preview: Pink-Day Clash at Gaddafi Stadium

Pakistan return to Gaddafi Stadium this Sunday with the tri-series final firmly in their sights. The fourth ODI of the Pakistan ODI Tri-Series 2026, on 25 October 2026 at 1:00 pm PKT, is no ordinary league match: it doubles as the PCB's Breast Cancer Awareness Day, with Pakistan pulling on specially designed pink jerseys, pink stumps at both ends, and free mammogram screening for fans around the fixture. Win here, and the hosts take a giant stride towards the 31 October final.

Where the points table stands

Three matches into the six-game league phase, Pakistan sit top of the table with four points and a healthy net run rate of +1.240. Sri Lanka's record-breaking chase against England in Rawalpindi on Thursday has thrown the race wide open: the Islanders are now second on two points with an NRR of -0.348, while England, beaten twice, are bottom with zero points and an NRR of -0.892.

Team	Played	Won	Lost	Points	NRR
Pakistan	2	2	0	4	+1.240
Sri Lanka	2	1	1	2	-0.348
England	2	0	2	0	-0.892

The top two teams after the league stage meet in the final at Gaddafi Stadium on 31 October. A Pakistan win on Sunday would take the hosts to six points, leaving England needing to win both of their remaining games — including the 29 October rematch against Sri Lanka — just to stay alive. For England, there is no margin left: it is win or go home, and even then they would need help.

What happened in Rawalpindi

These two sides met just five days ago in Rawalpindi, and Pakistan won emphatically — by 87 runs. After being put in to bat, Pakistan posted 302 for 9, built on Hasan Nawaz's sparkling 79 off 74 balls and a game-turning 59 off 58 from Arafat Minhas. England started the chase brightly but collapsed against Minhas's left-arm spin, the 22-year-old finishing with a six-wicket haul as England were bowled out for 215 in 38.4 overs.

Thursday's 3rd ODI, however, changed the mood of the entire tournament. England, batting first, piled up 429 for 4 — with captain Harry Brook smashing 202 off 116 balls, the fastest double hundred in ODI history and the first ever by an England batter — only for Sri Lanka to chase it down with one ball to spare, 430 for 8, for a two-wicket win that ranks as the second-highest successful chase in ODI history. England's bowlers have now conceded 732 runs across their last two games.

The Pink-Day occasion

Sunday's match is the PCB's designated Breast Cancer Awareness Day, run in partnership with Pink Ribbon Pakistan during Pinktober, the global breast cancer awareness month. The details carry real substance beyond the pink jerseys:

• Pakistan will wear specially designed pink kits; pink-branded stumps will stand at both ends for the full 100 overs.
• England's players, match officials and broadcasters have been invited to wear pink ribbons, and awareness messages will run on the giant screens and LED perimeter boards from first ball to last.
• Pink Ribbon activities begin two hours before play, around 11:00 am PKT, giving fans time to engage with the campaign.
• The Pink Ribbon Breast Cancer Trust Hospital in Lahore is offering free breast cancer screening for fans on 24 and 26 October, the day before and the day after the match — a direct route from awareness to medical service.
• Limited-edition pink merchandise has been on sale through the PCB shop at Gaddafi Stadium and the PCB online store since 19 October.

It is a fitting stage: this tour is England's first ODI series in Pakistan in 21 years, and a packed Gaddafi Stadium on a cause-driven Sunday promises one of the atmospheres of the season.

Key battles to watch

Minhas vs England's middle order. England's batters had no answers for Arafat Minhas's spin on Tuesday. Brook's record-breaking innings showed England can destroy bowling when set — but Minhas proved twice in the series that one disciplined spell can dismantle them. How England's middle order handles spin in the middle overs is the central tactical question of the match.

Brook vs Pakistan's new ball. Shaheen Shah Afridi leads an attack that has defended two totals under pressure. Brook arrives in Lahore as the form batter of the tournament — his 202 has made him the most feared man on either side. Getting him early is worth more than any other wicket.

Pakistan's top order vs the new ball. Twice now, Pakistan's middle order has bailed out a shaky start — Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman have not yet fired in tandem. At some point the hosts will need a commanding platform, and a day-five pitch at Gaddafi Stadium, traditionally a batter's paradise, is the perfect place to find it. Pakistan are also playing with confidence off the field: the 4-0 start to the series lifted them to fourth in the ICC ODI rankings, one rating point behind South Africa.

Likely line-ups

Pakistan (from): Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Babar Azam, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Saad Baig, Hasan Nawaz, Salman Ali Agha, Arafat Minhas, Faheem Ashraf, Shadab Khan, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed, Sufiyan Muqeem, Ghazi Ghori, Razaullah.

England (from): Harry Brook (captain), Joe Root, Ben Duckett, Tom Banton, Jordan Cox, Will Jacks, Sam Curran, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, James Coles, Adil Rashid, Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue, Mason Crane, Sonny Baker, Henry Crocombe.

What is at stake

For Pakistan, this is the chance to do what strong tournament teams do: bank the decisive win early, then rotate with confidence into the 27 October rematch with Sri Lanka. A win also keeps alive the dream scenario for Lahore fans — a Pakistan vs Sri Lanka final rematch in front of a full house on 31 October.

For England, it is survival. Back-to-back defeats have left them on zero points, and Sri Lanka's Thursday heroics mean the visitors can no longer afford to wait for form to arrive. Brook's men must now produce the complete performance — the batting of Thursday and the bowling of neither — or their series will effectively end in Lahore.

Match 4 of the Pakistan ODI Tri-Series 2026: Pakistan vs England, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, Sunday 25 October, 1:00 pm PKT. Pink jerseys, a rocking stadium, and a final spot on the line. This one is set up to be special.

Sources: PCB series release via Sportimeline; CricTracker points table and Pink-Day report; Khel Ja; Pakera; Sportradar scorecards; IPL.com points table update; TNT Sports and ESPN on tour context. Score data verified across multiple sources.