Pakistan brought opener Maaz Sadaqat back into their One-day International (ODI) side as Sri Lanka elected to field first in Tuesday’s tri-series match at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.
Maaz, who has played six ODIs since making his debut against Bangladesh earlier this year, returned after Saim Ayub requested his release from the squad to resume domestic cricket and work on his batting form.
Pakistan also replaced Razaullah, who made his ODI debut against England on Sunday, with Naseem Shah. Naseem missed the previous match after dislocating his finger during the warm-up.
Sri Lanka named an unchanged XI.
Pakistan Look to Fine-Tune Combination
Pakistan have won all three of their matches and secured a place in Saturday’s final. However, the contest gives captain Shaheen Shah Afridi’s team another opportunity to test combinations and address concerns about the top order before the title decider.
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Sri Lanka, meanwhile, will look to strengthen their chances of reaching the final. They beat England by two wickets earlier in the tournament after chasing a target of 430 runs, recording the second-highest successful run chase in ODI history.
A win would confirm Sri Lanka’s place in the final alongside Pakistan. If Pakistan win, England will retain a chance of qualifying ahead of their final league match against Sri Lanka on Thursday.
Playing XIs
Pakistan: Maaz Sadaqat, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Saad Baig (wicketkeeper), Hasan Nawaz, Salman Ali Agha, Arafat Minhas, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf.
Sri Lanka: Avishka Fernando, Kamindu Mendis, Kusal Mendis (captain and wicketkeeper), Pavan Rathnayake, Sahan Arachchige, Janith Liyanage, Dasun Shanaka, Dunith Wellalage, Eshan Malinga, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka.
