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It's not just Manchester United who've had a chastening week.
The England cricket team have shown they are more than capable of crumbling, too.
If losing once from a dominant position could be considered misfortune then to do it twice in four days is just plain careless.
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Highlights from last Thursday's ODI as Sri Lanka stunned England by pulling off a chase of 430 - the second-highest in the format's historyIf you look at the last two games, we've been in positions where we should have won, so that is a massive positive as a group. If in a year's time we do get to those situations again and bank on our previous experiences then we'll look back at this tri-series as a huge positive.
That is not to denigrate the achievements of Sri Lanka for chasing down a colossal 430 and Pakistan for their successful pursuit of 242 after having been 154-9. Those should be lauded.
But they did expose a few cracks in England that were not really visible during the home ODI summer as Harry Brook's team recorded bilateral series wins over India and Sri Lanka.
England are not in the disarray Manchester United are. The coach won't be sacked and the captain is unlikely to be dropped for slamming the coach's tactics. But there are things to fix. Some easy, others a little more difficult.
England missing senior players, including ArcherIt is worth noting that an England side sat on three defeats from three in the tri-series - they lost their first game against Pakistan after botching a chase of 303 - is missing some key personnel.
Image: England's Jos Buttler (left) and Jofra Archer (right) are missing the tri-series through injury and rest respectively
Jos Buttler (injured), Jacob Bethell (recovering from injury) and Jofra Archer (rested) are not here. Adil Rashid has not been picked for the last two matches. Josh Tongue missed Sunday's loss.
Having Rashid - whose recent omission has been somewhat of a mystery - and Archer would clearly have bolstered the bowling, while Bethell and Buttler could have acted as strong sounding boards for Brook when things started to unravel in the field.
Bethell and Buttler's absences were also keenly felt with the bat as, let's be honest, that is where this weekend's game was lost.
The Lahore strip was not the Rawalpindi road on which England and Sri Lanka struck a combined 859 runs but neither was it a minefield.
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The best of Shadab's unbeaten hundred in Lahore as he put on a match-winning 89-run partnership with last man Haris RaufThe fact Pakistan's No 8 (Shadab Khan) scored 113 not out and England's No 10 (Gus Atkinson) hit an unbeaten 36 shows you that.
England's 241 all out was under par. They should probably never have defended it. It's just the way they failed to defend it that rankled.
The lack of middle-overs wickets that blighted England against Sri Lanka - and has done in ODIs for some time - was not an issue versus Pakistan as Jamie Overton and Liam Dawson excelled.
This time the problems came when their opponents were nine down.
Image: What role should Sam Curran have in England's ODI side? England's Curran conundrum
During the dismal 2025 Champions Trophy campaign in Pakistan - losing all three of their games - England were crying out for the variety Sam Curran's left-arm box of tricks provides.
Since his white-ball reinstatement, Curran has made a difference, notably with a clutch final over as England staved off a humbling defeat to Nepal in the T20 World Cup in India earlier this year.
But he has had a tough time in Pakistan over the last few days, perhaps owing to the rustiness caused by missing the last two months with a groin injury.
None of Curran's variations have really worked.
His moon balls, bouncers and yorkers have been more predictable than Manchester United getting to the autumn and changing manager. A stage we may be at again.
Image: Sam Curran (right) recorded the most-expensive England ODI bowling figures against Sri Lanka, with 2-103 from nine overs
Curran's 42 with the bat helped rally England from 52-4 against Pakistan and, in isolation, his bowling figures of 0-32 from eight overs are solid. That doesn't tell the entire story, though.
In his fifth, sixth and seventh overs, Curran offered up boundary balls to Shadab and then a single, while also failing to sufficiently test No 11 Haris Rauf when he had the opportunity.
Three days prior, the all-rounder was flogged for England's most-expensive ODI bowling figures as Brook persevered with him for too long. Curran's 2-103 from nine overs against Sri Lanka trumped his own 0-98 from 9.5 overs versus West Indies back in 2023.
Stuart Broad is one of many who think you get the best out of Curran when he has a defined and prominent role - and England need to work out what that is as he feels rather bit-part at the moment. If his toils with the ball continue that could be no part.
McCullum: England 'gutted' by ODI defeats
England head coach Brendon McCullum:
“We will learn from this. The boys are gutted, to be honest. They were gutted after the last game and they're even more gutted after this one.
"These boys are immensely talented, they're incredibly driven to perform for England.
“We know that we're not the best side that we can be just yet but that's the challenge that's in front of us.
"There's some good lessons and learning opportunities and we will learn from it because we are desperate to get to South Africa and have a realistic chance of challenging for that World Cup.
“When you've got an inexperienced line-up and you've got a big World Cup in 12 months' time and you've only got 20 games between now and then, you need to have that level of communication and those examples of real time experiences."
Should Overton continue to excel in the middle overs, banging out a hard length and nabbing crucial wickets Liam Plunkett-style, and offer a bit more with the bat than he is currently doing, Curran could be at risk, especially if England want to get another out-and-out seamer into the XI as they prepare for the 2027 World Cup in Africa.
Why is Rashid not playing?They also need to find a way for Rashid to return to the side at some stage - unless the leg-spinner's recent absence is because they have moved on from a man who has been a linchpin for well over a decade.
The fact Rashid, 38, is in the squad to tour Australia next month would suggest not. His spell on the bench is perhaps due to still working back to full fitness following a hand injury that ended his home summer prematurely.
But his ODI figures in 2026 have not been amazing - nine wickets in seven games at an average of 36.22 and a strike-rate of 37.50 after a quality 2025 when he averaged two wickets a game (30 in 15 fixtures at an average of 23.63 and strike-rate of 24.10).
Image: Adil Rashid has been left out of England's last two ODIs
Sky Sports' Nasser Hussain said last week that Rashid's performances had "dropped off".
Rashid being omitted for Liam Dawson - who has done excellently in the tri-series, it must be said - for tactical reasons in Rawalpindi and again in Lahore has raised questions that were not there before.
Questions across the board are inevitable when you fluff your lines twice in a week. At least coach Brendon McCullum, perhaps unlike Michael Carrick at Manchester United after the Como and Bournemouth drubbings, will be around to try and provide the answers.
Watch England's next tri-series match, against Sri Lanka in Lahore, live on Sky Sports Cricket and Main Event from 7.30am on Thursday (8am first ball). Not got Sky? Latest Sky Sports deals or stream with no contract through NOW - cancel anytime.
ODI tri-series results and scheduleAll games live on Sky Sports; all times UK and Ireland