England have won their last five ODIs against Pakistan, including a sweep last time round, in 2012. It is a streak they have not matched since winning seven in a row against them from May 1978 to June 1983.
Pakistan have won only two of their past 10 ODIs at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
Neither of these stats will really mean anything at all once the match begins, as Eoin Morgan was at pains to point out.
For a start, the two sides are unfamiliar to each other – this is their first ODI in nearly four years.
England have played every other Full Member, bar Zimbabwe, and the top Associates, at least once in that cycle.
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It is difficult to know which way this series will go, or on what themes it will play out. Spin will play a role for Pakistan, but to what extent?
Yasir Shah and Bilal Asif are still inexperienced when it comes to the format. The latter is just two games old.
Instead, Azhar Ali may have to turn to pace and hope that Mohammed Irfan and Wahab Riaz and, at some point, Rahat Ali, can provide a wicket-taking threat.
England’s batting has the greater potential to turn games on their head. Indeed, they have a wonderfully eclectic middle.
In Joe Root, a classical modern fulcrum, in Morgan, an astute limited-overs operator and in Jos Buttler, an explosive, game-changing force.
Throw Moeen Ali and Alex Hales into that equation and there is the outline of a powerful batting order. But can they adapt here, to slower, lower surfaces, against the kinds of spin they are not necessarily used to?
Schedule
1st ODI Today at Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
2nd ODI Friday at Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
3rd ODI November 17 at Sharjah Cricket Stadium
4th ODI November 20 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium
Squads
Pakistan: Azhar Ali (capt), Mohammed Hafeez, Ahmed Shahzad, Bilal Asif, Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik, Babar Azam, Mohammed Rizwan, Sarfraz Ahmed, Amir Yamin, Anwer Ali, Yasir Shah, Zafar Gohar, Rahat Ali, Wahab Riaz, Mohammed Irfan.
England: Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Chris Jordan, Alex Hales, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, James Taylor, Reece Topley, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Liam Plunkett.
