As ever, there is little rest for the England men's cricket team. Having completed an ODI series victory over Sri Lanka on September 27, they return to that format in the subcontinent from Tuesday as they take on Pakistan in Rawalpindi - live on Sky Sports (9am first ball) - in a tri-series that also includes Sri Lanka. It marks the start of a packed winter schedule that goes on to feature a white-ball tour of Australia, Test trips to South Africa and Bangladesh and then a return to Australia for the pink-ball, 150th-anniversary Test match in March.
Here we look at the questions for England in this tri-series and what knock-on effects they could have for the Test challenges to come… When it comes to spin bowling in white-ball cricket, England have struck on a decent formula. Adil Rashid as the main man - something he has been for well over a decade now - supported by a number of all-rounders, including Will Jacks and Liam Dawson. In Test cricket, though, spin is a real issue.
Dan Lawrence is the first-choice option for now, principally because of his batting prowess, and while Shoaib Bashir has received another central contract, he has only played two Tests in the last year. So, this white-ball series in the subcontinent offers the chance for England's younger spinners - Jacks, James Coles and the recalled Mason Crane - to push for squad places on the Test tour of South Africa from December 17, also live on Sky Sports. Harry Brook (captain), Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker, Tom Banton, James Coles, Jordan Cox, Mason Crane, Henry Crocombe, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Josh Tongue.
Jacks, who played in four Ashes Tests last winter, and Coles could appeal because they, like Lawrence, bring much with the bat. Crane is the only out-and-out bowler in that trio but has advanced his batting with two Championship tons for Glamorgan last term. At the very least, Crane, in line for his first England appearance since 2018, will be keen to prove he should be Rashid's leg-spin back-up in ODI cricket and perhaps his long-term successor, too, having leapfrogged Rehan Ahmed in the white-ball pecking order.
Seam bowler Henry Crocombe was awarded a two-year central contact last week despite not yet having made a senior appearance for his country. That shows the regard England hold him in and you sense he will be unleased sooner or later. The 25-year-old, who will join Surrey from Sussex ahead of the 2027 domestic season, has enjoyed most success in red-ball cricket to date, with his 125 wickets in 51 matches including back-to-back hat-tricks against Somerset and Essex this campaign.
Crocombe's 50-over stats are not too shabby, though - 49 wickets in 36 matches - and the length of his central contract would suggest England view him as a multi-format bowler, alongside Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue and Gus Atkinson. The Eastbourne-born quick is set to make his T20I debut in Australia in November, while he must have an excellent shout of making that Test trip to South Africa as well. Another talking point from England's updated central-contract list last week was Ben Duckett missing out on a two-year extension.
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