LAHORE: Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bowl first against Pakistan in the fifth ODI of the ongoing tri-series at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Tuesday.
The home side made two changes, with Maaz Sadaqat coming in for Saim Ayub and Naseem Shah replacing Razaullah.
Pakistan hold a dominant head-to-head record against Sri Lanka in the 50-over format. The two sides have faced each other in 161 ODIs, with Pakistan winning 97 matches and Sri Lanka securing 59 victories. One match ended in a tie, while four produced no result.
Pakistan are currently in red-hot form in the 50-over format, having registered three consecutive victories to secure their place in the ODI tri-series final. The Green Shirts will look to continue their dominance over Sri Lanka.
Shaheen Afridi’s astute captaincy, backed by strong middle-order performances and pace-bowling dominance, will be key as Pakistan look to maintain their momentum heading into the final.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka will be looking for a victory to strengthen their position in the top two of the ODI tri-series, having knocked winless England out of contention.
The Lankan Lions will also be confident after chasing down England’s total of 429, the second-highest total successfully chased in ODI history, with captain Harry Brook having scored 202.
Sri Lanka will also be keen to avenge their defeat against Pakistan as they aim to finish the group stage on a positive note.
Playing XIs
Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Maaz Sadaqat, Babar Azam, Saad Baig (wk), Hasan Nawaz, Salman Ali Agha, Arafat Minhas, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi (c), Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah.
Sri Lanka: Kamindu Mendis, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis (c/wk), Pavan Rathnayake, Dasun Shanaka, Janith Liyanage, Sahan Arachchige, Dunith Wellalage, Eshan Malinga, Asitha Fernando and Dilshan Madushanka.
