Unbeaten Pakistan take on Sri Lanka in the fifth match of the One-day International tri-series at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on Tuesday, with the hosts already through to Saturday’s final, Dawn reported. Play starts at 1pm, the Pakistan Cricket Board said.
Pakistan have won all three of their matches. For Sri Lanka, a win would confirm their place in the final alongside Pakistan. A Pakistan win would keep England’s hopes alive before their last league game against Sri Lanka on Thursday.
Riding on Shadab’s rescue act
Pakistan come into the game after one of the most dramatic wins of the series. Chasing England’s 242 on Sunday, they slumped to 154 for nine before Shadab Khan hit an unbeaten 113 off 96 balls, his maiden ODI century, to win by one wicket with 17 balls to spare.
His unbroken 89-run stand with Haris Rauf was a record for the 10th wicket in a successful ODI chase, beating the 64 by West Indies’ Deryck Murray and Andy Roberts against Pakistan at the 1975 World Cup.
Shadab was given out lbw on 97 with 20 still needed, but Rauf urged him to review and UltraEdge showed an inside edge. “I think Haris deserves more credit than me,” Shadab said. He admitted his recent form had been poor: “Obviously, I didn’t really have good performances in the recent past.”
Squad changes
- Saim Ayub out: released at his own request to return to domestic cricket and work on his batting after scoring six against England.
- Sahibzada Farhan in: named as Ayub’s replacement.
- Sufiyan Moqim released: the PCB cited the nature of the Lahore pitches.
- Maaz Sadaqat: stays with the squad as cover for players with minor niggles.
Shaheen chasing Wasim
Captain Shaheen Shah Afridi has seven wickets in three matches in the series. Against England he became the fastest Pakistan fast bowler to 150 ODI wickets.
He has 20 wickets in seven ODIs at Gaddafi Stadium. Four more would take him past Wasim Akram’s 23 and make him the ground’s leading ODI wicket-taker.
Background: the head-to-head
Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 37 runs in the series opener, with Salman Ali Agha scoring 107 off 90 balls and Shaheen taking three wickets. Sri Lanka then chased down 430 against England in Rawalpindi, the second-highest successful chase in ODI history.
Of 161 previous ODIs between the sides, Pakistan have won 97 and Sri Lanka 59, with one tie and four no-results.
Why it matters
With the final place secured, this match is Pakistan’s chance to fix the top order before Saturday. Sunday’s collapse to 154 for nine exposed the batting, and the management will want more from Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman. For Sri Lanka, the stakes are higher: win, and they are in the final; lose, and they must beat England on Thursday.
Pakistan rested on Monday after Sunday’s draining finish, while Sri Lanka trained at Gaddafi Stadium. See the full tri-series schedule.
This article draws on reporting by Dawn.
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