England crashed out of the ODI tri-series in Pakistan with a match to spare after Sri Lanka’s victory over the hosts eliminated Harry Brook’s side.

England have lost all three of their one-day internationals in the series to date, meaning that even if they win Thursday’s clash against Sri Lanka in Lahore they cannot make the final, which will be contested by the Sri Lankans and Pakistan on Saturday.

England retained a chance of qualifying before Sri Lanka’s eight-wicket victory on Tuesday, but will now be left rueing their two consecutive agonising defeats.

After England lost to Pakistan by 87 runs in their first match, Brook’s record-breaking 202 led his side to 429 for four against Sri Lanka in their following game. Yet, despite reducing their fellow tourists to 24 for two in Rawalpindi, England delivered an abject bowling performance. Sri Lanka’s two-wicket victory was the second-highest successful chase in ODI history.

In their third match, against Pakistan in Lahore, England were once again on course for an emphatic win. Pakistan fell to 154 for nine, needing another 88 runs to secure victory. But Shadab Khan’s brilliant 113 not out, supported by an undefeated seven from last man Haris Rauf, led Pakistan to a one-wicket victory.

England, once again, made history of the wrong sort. The last pair’s unbroken partnership of 89 shattered the previous highest for a 10th-wicket stand to secure a one-wicket win, breaking the previous best of 64 not out.

That defeat on Sunday left England on the brink of a premature exit with their fate in the hands of Sri Lanka, who knew they would knock Brook and Co out of the tri-series with a victory over the hosts.

On Monday, Brook and head coach Brendon McCullum were among players and staff who enjoyed a round of golf while England were on the brink of elimination. The Pakistan Cricket Board posted a series of images showing the pair, as well as Joe Root, teeing off at the Defence Raya Golf Resort in Lahore.

This summer, England defeated both India and Sri Lanka 2-1 in ODI series, and appeared to be building well for the 2027 World Cup, which begins next October. But the three defeats in Pakistan have raised a series of questions about the health of the side.

Without Ben Stokes, England rely on Sam Curran in the pivotal role of seam-bowling all-rounder who bats in the top seven. But while Curran contributed a useful 42 in England’s last ODI, his bowling has been badly exposed in Pakistan. His three wickets in the series have come at a cost of 58.3 apiece, while conceding eight runs an over.

Within the England set-up, there have been long-standing concerns about Curran’s suitability as an ODI bowler. While he has performed strongly in T20 cricket, there is a belief that he is a far more effective bowler when permitted five men outside the 30-yard circle, as permitted in the shortest format. In ODIs, bowlers are only allowed four men outside the 30-yard circle from the 11 th to 40 th overs which can expose Curran’s lack of pace.

There have been broader signs of uncertainty about the make-up of England’s attack. After an underwhelming return of one for 55 from eight overs in England’s first match, leg-spinner Adil Rashid was omitted for tactical reasons from the past two ODIs. His replacement, left-arm spinner Liam Dawson, took one for 71 during Sri Lanka’s huge run chase, but then recorded figures of two for 30 against Pakistan on Sunday.

Pace bowler Henry Crocombe took one for 57 from 6.1 overs on his international debut, struggling for control as he was targeted by Shadab. Yet perhaps a bigger concern will be Gus Atkinson, who should be viewed as the leader of the attack in the absence of the rested Jofra Archer. Atkinson’s four wickets in the tri-series, however, have come at an average of 38.5 and economy rate of 6.7. In 19 ODIs, Atkinson’s 25 wickets have cost 34.4 apiece, while leaking 6.2 an over.

Brook’s side need to develop much greater threat if they are to avoid suffering the same fate in Southern Africa in 12 months, and being bundled out of the competition long before the final stages.