RAWALPINDI, Dec 20: England have more than just pride to play for as they go into Wednesday’s fifth and final One-day International against Pakistan looking for victory in a dead rubber at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Down 1-3 following their narrow 13-run defeat on Monday, touring captain Marcus Trescothick was disappointed at losing in a manner they did. “I think we were in a very good position to win, chasing 210, I think we realized halfway through we should have won the game.”

England, currently seventh in ICC’s rankings are also in danger of missing out on automatic qualification for the ICC Champions Trophy in India next year.

“The series is over, but the guys have a lot of pride in how they play and we need the ranking points as well,” Trescothick said as his side prepared to end the tour with at least a face-saving win after also losing the three-Test series 2-0.

Trescothick, standing in for an injured Michael Vaughan, would perhaps be delighted that his opposite number Inzamamul Haq was unlikely to play on Wednesday reportedly because of a strained groin.

Inzamam told Dawn that there will be at least two changes to the side and made it clear that the team will go in with all seriousness.

“Of course we will be aiming for a 4-1 series win,” said the captain who was instrumental in Pakistan’s victory on Monday with an unbeaten 81.

Trescothick, who managed only 23 runs in the last game, felt that it was important for them to bounce back somewhere. “We have to start winning away from home.”

England came close to winning through a fine effort from Kabir Ali and his fellow tail-enders before Shoaib Akhtar broke a frustrating last-wicket partnership with James Anderson that produced 33 runs.

Kabir had earlier added 50 runs with Ian Blackwell and returned with an unbeaten 39, his career-best score as England were dismissed for 197 in 48.1 overs.

“The conditions we are playing in at the moment are going to be very similar to the West Indies during the 2007 World Cup; and besides we have the Champions Trophy before that, so we have to start putting in performances in this part of the world.”

While Pakistan completed their third series win on the trot this year after away victories in India and West Indies, for England the tour has been a big disappointment.

“We have not adapted to situations as well as we have done before and whether that’s a comedown from the Ashes, I don’t know but we have got to work even harder going into the next series,” said Trescothick whose side will next play India in India.

Meanwhile, England medium pacer Kabir Ali, who took two wickets Monday, said that Shoaib Akhtar, his county-mate at Worcestershire, had given a few tips to him during his brief stint early this year.

Kabir, whose parents had come from Mirpur in Azad Kashmir, told reporters that Shoaib mixed pace with slower deliveries intelligently.

“I have played him in the nets and he is very good,” he said after getting a chance to play in place of an unwell Steve Harmison.

Teams (from):

Pakistan: Inzamamul Haq (captain), Salman Butt, Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal, Yasir Hameed, Mohammad Yousuf, Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi, Yasir Arafat, Rana Naved, Shoaib Akhtar, Danish Kaneria, Mohammad Sami, Arshad Khan, Mohammad Asif.

England: Marcus Trescothick (captain), Andrew Strauss, Vikram Solanki, Paul Collingwood, Andrew Flintoff, Geraint Jones, Ian Blackwell, Steve Harmison, Liam Plunkett, James Anderson, Matt Prior, Ian Bell, Kabir Ali, Shaun Udal.

Umpires: Rudi Koertzen (South Africa) and Tony Hill (New Zealand).

TV Umpire: Zamir Haider (Pakistan).

Match Referee: Jeff Crowe (New Zealand).