England head coach Brendon McCullum has warned his side they will need to adapt quickly to subcontinent conditions to compete against Pakistan and Sri Lanka, as the visitors prepare to face the hosts in the second match of the One-day International tri-series at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
McCullum acknowledged Pakistan’s familiarity with home conditions and the challenge of winning away from home, but said England were eager to test themselves against two strong opponents in a competition that will also serve as preparation for next year’s 50-over World Cup.
“Pakistan’s a very strong side,” McCullum said during a media talk on Monday. “When you come to this part of the world, you have to do things differently. Playing subcontinent teams in subcontinent conditions has its own challenges, but that’s something we’re looking forward to.”
England arrive with momentum after three consecutive ODI series victories in 2026, but the prospect of facing Pakistan on their home ground presents a different examination. The visitors will also have to contend with Sri Lanka, with the top two sides from the double round-robin stage qualifying for the Oct 31 final in Lahore.
McCullum said England wanted to be competitive against any opposition and in all conditions, rather than rely on a fixed approach.
“We don’t have any kind of binary process of how we want to go about playing,” he said. “We want to just make sure that we play what’s in front of us, adapt as quick as we can, and hopefully try and play the best cricket we can to give ourselves a chance.”
Pakistan, meanwhile, enter Tuesday’s fixture after beginning their campaign with a 37-run victory over Sri Lanka on Sunday. A match-winning century from Salman Ali Agha helped the hosts post 305 before their pace attack bowled Sri Lanka out for 268, giving captain Shaheen Shah Afridi’s side an encouraging start to the tournament.
Salman’s unbeaten 107 off 90 balls was particularly significant after a difficult period in his international career. Having been left out of Pakistan’s T20 and Test sides, the middle-order batter returned to domestic cricket, where substantial first-class scores helped him regain form ahead of his comeback.
Speaking after the Sri Lanka match, Salman called for greater recognition of performances in domestic cricket, saying: “I feel that we don’t give enough respect to our domestic cricket.”
He argued that scoring runs at that level was not as straightforward as some critics suggested, adding that players had to work hard to earn their runs.
His own return offered a timely illustration of how domestic cricket can help players rebuild confidence and address technical shortcomings before returning to the international stage.
Salman’s innings also underlined the importance of Pakistan’s middle order against an England attack that includes experienced campaigners and several emerging players. His ability to anchor an innings while scoring at a healthy rate could prove valuable if Pakistan lose early wickets against England’s seamers.
The hosts will also look to their fast bowlers to build on Sunday’s performance.
Shaheen, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf and Faheem Ashraf shared all 10 Sri Lankan wickets, demonstrating the depth of Pakistan’s pace resources. However, Sri Lanka’s fifth-wicket partnership between Janith Liyanage and Pavan Rathnayake showed that Pakistan’s attack can be challenged if batters settle in.
England, for their part, have assembled a squad combining established names with players seeking to establish themselves in the ODI side.
Former captain Joe Root brings experience and stability, while Harry Brook, who leads the team in white-ball cricket, will be central to their batting plans. Will Jacks offers an additional option with both bat and ball, while leg-spinner Adil Rashid and all-rounder Sam Curran have returned to the squad after injuries.
England will, however, be without Jos Buttler, who is recovering from a hamstring injury, while fast bowler Jofra Archer has been rested to manage his workload. The absence of two prominent players places added responsibility on the available squad to deliver in unfamiliar conditions.
McCullum said the team understood the advantage Pakistan enjoyed at home but viewed the challenge as an opportunity to improve their adaptability. He also welcomed the chance to play in a tri-series, describing the format as a distinctive test because teams must adjust to different opponents in quick succession.
“It’s a real opportunity in front of us,” he said, adding that England respected the strength of both Pakistan and Sri Lanka and would need to be at their best to reach the final.
Tuesday’s match is the first of two meetings between Pakistan and England in the league stage. The sides will meet again in Lahore on Oct 25, while England face Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi on Thursday. With the final scheduled for Lahore on Oct 31, a strong start could prove decisive in the race for qualification.
The delegation finished the competition with 75 medals, including 24 gold.
On Saturday, Italy achieved its second consecutive title at the World Skate Games in Paraguay, beating Colombia in a close race for first place in the overall medal count.
The Italian delegation finished the competition with 75 medals, including 24 gold, while Colombia finished second with 49 medals and 23 gold. Spain took third place with 47 medals, 17 of which were gold.
The Italian wins were based primarily in the artistic and technical disciplines, where they achieved a significant advantage over their rivals. In artistic skating, Italy won twelve medals compared to Colombia’s three.
Meanwhile, Colombia showed its dominance in speed skating, amassing 35 medals in this discipline, including 17 gold. Therefore, they solidified a hegemony that has allowed them to win 23 world titles.
🌎 World Skate Games ASU🇵🇾2026 🛼
🛹 ¡A puro #Skateboarding en el Parque Olímpico Paraguayo! ✨
The text reads, “World Skate Games Asuncion 2026. Pure Skateboarding in the Paraguayan Olympic Park!”
Among the tournament’s outstanding performances was that of 15-year-old Spaniard Egoitz Bijueska, who was crowned champion in the park skateboarding event, ahead of renowned international figures.
Sebastian “Chevi” Guzman, a Venezuelan-born, naturalized Spanish sprinter, won five medals and broke his own world record in the 100-meter sprint with a time of 9.467 seconds.
According to the organizers, the Games brought together 5,600 competitors from 91 countries between October 2nd and 18th. The participants competed in 11 sports and 40 disciplines, making the event one of the biggest international skating events.
#FromTheSouth News Bits | The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization's World Food Forum is being held in Rome, Italy, offering nations an opportunity to showcase their capabilities and limitations in ensuring food security. pic.twitter.com/APin31lft6
Portugal ended the Roller Hockey World Cup on a high by beating arch-rivals Spain 5-3 to claim the bronze medal in Paraguay. The Portuguese side had to come from behind
Here’s how the top 10 contenders rank in the race to lift the Ballon d’Or ahead of the ceremony on 25 October in London after Harry Kane and Lamine Yamal both impressed in the Champions League
Alle undici e venticinque di sabato mattina, in una palestra di Monza, Mohamed «Momo» Elmaghraby mangia bresaola e pane integrale. «Stamattina ho fatto già colazione e mi sono allenato», racconta. Più tardi lo aspetta una seconda seduta. Lo spuntino serve a recuperare e a prepararsi alla fatica successiva: il pane porta carboidrati, la bresaola proteine. Eppure, in questa preparazione, c’è più libertà del solito: «A ‘sto giro non è che devo perdere peso: devo metterne!». Il 21 novembre infatti affronterà Clemente Russo a Milano, nella quattordicesima edizione di The Art of Fighting (TAF). L’incontro prevede otto riprese e un limite concordato di novantatré chili: è un catchweight, cioè un peso pattuito per quella specifica sfida. Elmaghraby, che combatte abitualmente nei mediomassimi, deve quindi prepararsi a una taglia superiore.
«Quando sono in top forma sono un peso sugli ottantasei e ottantasette chili», per affrontare Russo racconta di doverne aggiungere sette, anche otto. Quindi può mangiare «senza dover dare troppo peso alla bilancia», con più calorie a disposizione per allenarsi.
Foto di Gabriele Ferraresi
Alla domanda sulle rinunce risponde: «Non sto rinunciando a niente», e fin lì, benissimo, ma la parte meno comoda è trasformare le rinunce a niente in peso utile: sette chili di muscoli in tre mesi sono ben altra impresa rispetto a sette chili di pancia, quelli saremmo capaci anche noi di metterli. Di solito le restrizioni alimentari per Momo riguardano dolci, bibite gassate, succhi e cibi salati: «Devo mangiare molto clean, per forza», dice, usando il lessico delle palestre per descrivere un’alimentazione più controllata e sull’alcol taglia corto: «Non apriamo quella porta, figurati!». Zero.
Nato in Egitto e arrivato a vivere in Italia a dodici anni, ha incontrato la boxe alla fine del 2015, dopo un’adolescenza difficile. Dal 2016 ha cominciato ad allenarsi seriamente e anche a tavola ha dovuto imparare. «Prima non guardavo cosa mangiavo e tantomeno capivo il valore nutrizionale» racconta, «non davo peso alle proteine», né agli altri nutrienti. Con lo sport ha iniziato «a informarmi sempre di più su cosa serve al corpo» e così mangiare abbastanza per sostenere gli allenamenti, recuperare e conservare forza è diventato parte del mestiere. Il repertorio dei desideri, intanto, resta ampio. Della cucina egiziana Elmaghraby cita l’anatra con il riso e il brodo, le zucchine e i peperoni ripieni. Poi «una cosa che mi piace tanto, l’hawawshi» una prelibatezza da provare una volta nella vita, difficile – ma non impossibile – da trovare anche a Milano: è in sostanza un panino ripieno di carne – molto, e squisitamente – speziata. La conversazione si sposta sul piacere di mangiarlo e sull’alito che lascia, sul quale concordiamo: piuttosto importante.
Foto di Gabriele Ferraresi
La carne occupa da tempo un posto centrale nell’immaginario del pugilato. Nel manuale “Athletics and Manly Sport” di John Boyle O’Reilly, nell’edizione del 1890, la colazione di chi si allena può comprendere costolette di montone, bistecca, pollo o pesce alla griglia. Seguono il riposo per digerire, il sacco e lo sparring, il combattimento di allenamento. Più di un secolo dopo, Laila Ali ricordava a Bon Appétit le bistecche e le patate del padre Muhammad Ali, peso massimo, mentre raccontava per sé avena, albumi e restrizioni per rientrare nel peso. La categoria cambia anche il menu.
Nella boxe, il peso registrato alla pesata può essere diverso da quello con cui si sale sul ring. È qui che entra in gioco il taglio del peso: perdere rapidamente alcuni chili per rientrare nel limite previsto, cercando poi di recuperarli prima dell’incontro. Quando il controllo si svolge il giorno precedente, fra la bilancia e il primo gong resta tempo per bere e mangiare. L’obiettivo è combattere in una categoria inferiore a quella corrispondente al proprio peso abituale, cercando un vantaggio fisico, ma non è un vantaggio garantito. A far scendere rapidamente la bilancia è soprattutto la perdita di acqua, non di grasso.
Contro Russo, Elmaghraby sta affrontando il problema opposto: aumentare di peso per prepararsi a un incontro con un limite superiore a quello abituale, di conseguenza le rinunce sono meno severe, gli allenamenti restano impegnativi: e fra una risposta e l’altra, della bresaola è rimasta ancora una fettina.
A look at how Half Yours and Ohope Wins fell on the track during last Saturday's race. Ohope Wins was euthanised after sustaining serious injuries in the fall.
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