Fatima was instrumental in Pakistan’s victory as she recovered Pakistan from 84/8 to a respectable total of 116 with her quickfire 30-run cameo.

Later with the ball, she bagged two wickets including the prized scalp of her Sri Lankan counterpart Chamari Athapaththu.

For her all-round brilliance, Fatima Sana was awarded the Player of the Match in her maiden ICC Women’s T20 World Cup match as captain.

Speaking at the post-match presentation, the Pakistan captain thanked her teammates and credited management for the important victory.

“I am excited, thanks to the team they supported well. All credit goes to management,” said Fatima.

“We need to take the momentum and carry this to next match.

“I blame myself [for the score], but I tried to back myself and be calm to hit.”

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The right-arm pacer then shared that Pakistan needed to get rid of Chamari Athapaththu early to have a good start and it set the tone to defend the modest total.

“Obviously, we all know Chamari is a good player, we needed that wicket to have a good start and we got it,” Fatima said.

“We won the toss and we wanted a lot of runs but we didn’t get. But we still achieved the target in the game,” she added.

Remember, Pakistan had suffered a major blow earlier in the run defence when their experienced pacer Diana Baig limped off the field after bowling just one delivery.

Asked to provide an update on the pacer’s injury, Fatima Sana stated that she would inquire about Baig’s injury after the game.

“Unfortunately she [Diana Baig] was injured. She is our main player. I had to calm myself as captain and carry on with the ball after that. We will ask her how she is after the game,” Fatima said.

READ: Pakistan stun Sri Lanka to kick off Women’s T20 World Cup with a win

The post Fatima Sana hopeful to “carry momentum” after Sri Lanka win appeared first on ASports.tv.

Set to chase a modest 117, Sri Lanka’s strong batting lineup faltered and only managed 85/9 in the allotted 20 overs.

The Asian champions had a shaky start to the pursuit as they lost their in-form skipper Chamari Athapaththu (6) in the third over with just nine runs on the board.

Opening batter Vishmi Gunaratne then joined forces with Harshitha Samarawickrama to launch a recovery but Omaima Sohail unsettled Sri Lanka with two wickets in her successive overs.

Gunaratne lamented support from the other end before finally perishing in the 13th over, leaving Sri Lanka in tatters at 52/5. She scored 20 off 34 deliveries, hitting one boundary in the process.

Nilakshika Silva then offered some fight with her gritty 22-run knock and remained the top-scorer for Sri Lanka.

Besides Gunaratne and Silva, none of the Sri Lankan batters could make it into the double figures.

Sadia Iqbal was the standout bowler of Pakistan, picking up three wickets, followed by Fatima Sana, Nashra Sandhu and Omaima Sohail, who bagged two each.

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Opting to bat first, Pakistan’s batting unit struggled against a spin-laden Sri Lanka bowling attack and was unfolded on the final delivery of the innings.

The Green Shirts had a dismal start to their innings as Kumari dismissed both their openers Gull Feroza (2) and Muneeba Ali (11) inside four overs with just 17 runs on the board.

Sri Lanka captain Athapaththu added further to the misery of Pakistan as she removed experienced Sidra Amin in the sixth over of the innings. The right-handed batter managed 12 off 10 deliveries with the help of one boundary.

Youngster Omaima Sohail was then joined by seasoned all-rounder Nida Dar. The duo forged a cautious 25-run partnership for the fourth wicket until Omaima fell victim to Kavisha Dilhari in the 10th over.

Omaima scored a scratchy 18 off 19 deliveries, laced up with a four.

Dar then put on a brief partnership with Tuba Hassan (5) before both perished in quick succession. The former captain smashed a six on her way to a 22-ball 23.

Pakistan soon slipped further to 84/8 in 14.5 overs as Aliya Riaz (0) and Diana Baig (2) were dismissed cheaply.

When it seemed a difficult ask for the Green Shirts to breach the 100-run barrier, Fatima Sana stood up for her team and knitted a one-sided partnership with Nashra Sandu (6*) to give a late push to her side’s total.

The Pakistan captain top-scored with a 20-ball 30, laced up with three fours and a six, before walking back to the dugout in the final over.

For Sri Lanka, Athapaththu, Kumari and Udeshika Prabodhani claimed three wickets each, while Kavisha Dilhari made one scalp.

Earlier today, Bangladesh defended a low total to edge past Scotland in the opening match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024.

READ: Younis Khan backs two candidates for Pakistan’s white-ball captaincy

The post Pakistan stun Sri Lanka to kick off Women’s T20 World Cup with a win appeared first on ASports.tv.

PLAYING XIs

Pakistan: Muneeba Ali, Gull Feroza, Sidra Amin, Nida Dar, Aliya Riaz, Fatima Sana (c), Tuba Hassann, Nashra Sandhu, Diana Baig, Sadia Iqbal, Omaima Sohail.

Sri Lanka: Vishmi Gunaratne, Chamari Athapaththu (c), Harshitha Samarawickrama, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshika Silva, Hasini Perera, Anushka Sanjeewani, Sugandika Kumari, Inoshi Priyadharshani, Sachini Nisansala, Udeshika Prabodhani.

Speaking at the toss, Pakistan captain Fatima Sana stated that the pitch looked slow and thus her side would look to post a decent total and defend.

“Little bit nervous, but still excited because everyone has been so supportive,” said Fatima on leading Pakistan in the World Cup.

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Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu, on the other hand, was unfazed by her side’s hot streak in the format and vowed not to take anything for granted. She further shared that she would have bowled first anyway, expressing confidence in her bowling department.

HEAD TO HEAD

Pakistan and Sri Lanka came face to face 20 times in Women’s T20Is with the Green Shirts boasting a slender 10-9 lead.

Matches 20, Pakistan 10, Sri Lanka 9, NR 1

FORM GUIDE:

Pakistan enter the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 with a dismal track record as the side recently succumbed to a 2-1 series defeat against South Africa at home. They also remained devoid of victory in two warm-up matches in the build-up to the tournament.

Sri Lanka, on the other hand, are in red-hot form, having won the ACC Women’s Asia Cup 2024 by beating India in the final before playing out a 1-1 series draw against Ireland.

Pakistan: L, W, L, L, W (most recent first)
Sri Lanka: L, W, W, W, W

READ: Bowlers give Bangladesh triumphant start to Women’s T20 World Cup 2024

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The Green Shirts, who had four points in two matches, needed at least a draw in their last group match against Sri Lanka, who were at the bottom of the standings.

Pakistan U17 team, however, had their sights set on the victory as they took the lead just 20 minutes into the game, courtesy of in-form Subhan Kareem.

Mohammad Talha doubled their advantage just 10 minutes later while Subhan struck again at the 36-minute mark, lifting Pakistan to a 3-0 advantage over Sri Lanka.

Pakistan’s three-goal lead persisted till the half-time.

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The first-half thrashing took a toll on Sri Lanka’s defence so much that they scored an Own Goal to further increase Pakistan’s command on the game.

Abdul Ghani then added further to the misery of Sri Lanka by finding the back of the net in the 56th minute, extending the Green Shirts’ lead to 5-0.

Sri Lanka, who were struggling for the majority of the game, had a moment to cherish when they scored their lone goal in the 76th minute.

Pakistan’s opponent for the SAFF U17 Championship semi-final will be announced in due course.

Pakistan Squad for SAFF U17 Championship

Defenders: Abdul Rehman, M. Husnain Saleem, Najeem Khan, Sameer Ahmed, Ubaid Ullah Khan, Majid Ali, Syed Muhammad Aabis Raza and Umar Javed.

Midfielders: Abdul Samad, Muhammad Faraz, Farhad, Haroon Rashed, Hikmat Ullah, Khobaib Khan, M. Shahab Ahmed and Muhammad Khan.

Forwards: Abdul Ghani, Subhan Karim, Shahraf Khan and Muhammad Talha Khan. Goal Keepers: Aadil Ali Khan, Ghulam Abbas and Kashif.

READ: US Open champion Sabalenka chases year-end number one ranking

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The nerve-wracking second semi-final of the eight-team tournament went right down to the wire as Pakistan captain Nida Dar made it tough for the hosts to chase down three runs in the final over.

Sri Lanka’s wicketkeeper batter Anushka Sanjeewani, however, displayed nerves of steel and steered her side to a narrow three-wicket victory that set up their Women’s Asia Cup 2024 final with defending champions India.

Meanwhile, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi lauded the national team’s effort and urged them to keep their heads high.

“Absolutely proud of the Pakistan women’s cricket team,” wrote Naqvi on X, formerly Twitter.

“You fought with heart and determination till the very last ball. Winning and losing are both part of the game, but what truly matters is the spirit and resilience you displayed.

“You have lived up to the nation’s expectations and made us all proud. Keep your heads high; you have our unwavering support. Best of luck for the future.”

Set to chase 141, Sri Lanka knocked the winning runs on the penultimate delivery of the innings when Anushka Sanjeewani held her nerves calm to hit Nida Dar for a single towards the long-on.

The home side had a dismal start to the pursuit as they were reduced to 19/2 in four overs.

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However, their captain Athapaththu retaliated against spirited Pakistan bowlers and oversaw Sri Lanka’s run chase.

She put together crucial partnerships with Kavisha Dilhari (17) and Sanjeewani before finally perishing in the 17th over.

Athapaththu smashed 10 boundaries including a six on her way to top score for Sri Lanka with a 48-ball 63.

Her dismissal caused a stir in Sri Lanka’s chase as Pakistan bowlers forced a late comeback but wicketkeeper batter Sanjeewani showcased grit and powered the hosts into their sixth Women’s Asia Cup final.

Sanjeewani remained unbeaten with a 22-ball 24.

Sadia Iqbal was the pick among the bowlers for Pakistan with her four-fer while Nida Dar and Omaima Sohail shared two wickets between them.

Earlier, Pakistan registered 140/4 on the board, courtesy of a solid platform provided by openers Muneeba and Gull Feroza, after being put into bat first.

The opening pair batted sensibly on a tricky Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium surface and added 61 runs for the first wicket.

Muneeba and Feroza appeared in control until Udeshika Prabodhani forced Sri Lanka’s comeback by dismissing both the openers.

Wicketkeeper batter Muneeba Ali remained the top-scorer for Pakistan with a 34-ball 37, laced up with five fours while Feroza made a cautious 25 off 24 balls, hitting three fours in the process.

Later, Aliya Riaz and Fatima Sana bolstered Pakistan’s total by scoring 40 runs in the last five overs.

READ: Mohsin Naqvi announces ‘zero-tolerance policy’ for discipline violation

The post PCB Chairman lauds women’s team’s “resilience” after Sri Lanka defeat appeared first on ASports.tv.

Set to chase 141, Sri Lanka knocked the winning runs on the penultimate delivery of the innings when Anushka Sanjeewani held her nerves calm to hit Nida Dar for a single towards the long-on.

The home side had a dismal start to the pursuit as they were reduced to 19/2 in four overs.

However, their captain Athapaththu retaliated against spirited Pakistan bowlers and oversaw Sri Lanka’s run chase.

She put together crucial partnerships with Kavisha Dilhari (17) and Sanjeewani before finally perishing in the 17th over.

Athapaththu smashed 10 boundaries including a six on her way to top score for Sri Lanka with a 48-ball 63.

Her dismissal caused a stir in Sri Lanka’s chase as Pakistan bowlers forced a late comeback but wicketkeeper batter Sanjeewani showcased grit and powered the hosts into their sixth Women’s Asia Cup final.

Sanjeewani remained unbeaten with a 22-ball 24.

Sadia Iqbal was the pick among the bowlers for Pakistan with her four-fer while Nida Dar and Omaima Sohail shared two wickets between them.

Put into bat first, Pakistan registered 140/4 on the board, courtesy of a solid platform provided by openers Muneeba and Gull Feroza.

The opening pair batted sensibly on a tricky Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium surface and added 61 runs for the first wicket.

Muneeba and Feroza appeared in control until Udeshika Prabodhani forced Sri Lanka’s comeback by dismissing both the openers.

Wicketkeeper batter Muneeba Ali remained the top-scorer for Pakistan with a 34-ball 37, laced up with five fours while Feroza made a cautious 25 off 24 balls, hitting three fours in the process.

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Sidra Ameen and skipper Nida Dar then put together an important 30-run partnership for the third wicket.

The duo, however, was dismissed by Kavisha Dilhari in the 15th over as Pakistan slipped to 99/4 against Sri Lanka.

Later, Aliya Riaz and Fatima Sana bolstered Pakistan’s total by scoring 40 runs in the last five overs.

Sana was the core aggressor of the unbeaten partnership, scoring 23 off 17 while Aliya made a 15-ball 16.

For Sri Lanka, Prabodhani and Dilhari bagged two wickets each.

Hosts Sri Lanka will now face defending champions India in the Women’s Asia Cup 2024 final on Sunday.

READ: Jason Gillespie reacts to PCB’s stance on players’ workload management

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According to the details, Pakistan’s World Cup-bound contingent will engage in a rigorous practice session from 6 PM to 9 PM local time on Thursday (tomorrow) after reaching Ahmedabad today via chartered flight.

They will continue their training on Friday from 2 PM to 5 PM and will partake in several batting, bowling and fielding drills to boast their preparations for the most anticipated clash of the ICC World Cup 2023.

The Green Shirts scripted a decent start to their World Cup campaign with a resounding 81-run victory over the Netherlands on Friday at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.

Meanwhile, in their second match against Sri Lanka yesterday, Pakistan pulled off the highest run chase in the history of the World Cup, courtesy of gutsy centuries by Abdullah Shafique and Mohammad Rizwan.

Watch ICC World Cup 2023 Live on ARY ZAP

Pakistan, however, had a contrasting start to the pursuit as they had slipped to 37/2 in the eighth over as opening batter Imam-ul-Haq (12) and captain Babar Azam (10) failed to score big.

Following the slump, Mohammad Rizwan joined Abdullah Shafique in the middle and the pair launched an astounding recovery.

They batted sensibly over the course of their marathon partnership which saw them adding 176 runs to the total with Abdullah scoring his maiden ODI century.

Abdullah was dismissed after scoring 113 in 103 deliveries, laced up with 10 boundaries and three sixes.

Mohammad Rizwan then took the reigns of Pakistan run chase and he stitched a crucial 95-run partnership with Saud Shakeel, who scored a 30-ball 31 before perishing in the 45th over.

Rizwan held his ground firm and hit the winning runs for Pakistan in the penultimate over after notable support from Iftikhar Ahmed, who remained unbeaten on 22 in just 10 balls.

Mohammad Rizwan top-scored for Pakistan in their second ICC World Cup 2023 fixture with an unbeaten 131 in 121 deliveries, smashing eight boundaries and three sixes.

READ: Kane Williamson, Tim Southee likely to be fit for Bangladesh match

The post ICC World Cup 2023: Pakistan to hold training session tomorrow for India clash appeared first on ASports.tv.

PAK 348/4 (48.2 Overs)

Madushanka bowls

PAK 344/4 (48 Overs)

Pathirana replaces Madushanka

PAK 325/4 (47 Overs)

Wellalage comes back

PAK 319/4 (46 Overs)

Madushanka returns

PAK 314/4 (45 Overs)

Theekshana again

PAK 306/3 (44 Overs)

Wellalage returns

PAK 294/3 (43 Overs)

Theekshana again

PAK 283/3 (42 Overs)

Pathirana comes back

PAK 275/3 (41 Overs)

Theekshana continues

PAK 271/3 (40 Overs)

Madushanka continues

PAK 264/3 (39 Overs)

Theekshana replaces Dhananjaya

PAK 255/3 (38 Overs)

Madushanka comes back

PAK 251/3 (37 Overs)

Dhananjaya continues

PAK 239/3 (36 Overs)

Pathirana continues

PAK 228/3 (35 Overs)

Dhananjaya returns

PAK 223/3 (34 Overs)

33.1: Short ball, outside off and Shafique carves this in the air towards backward point, where substitute Dushan Hemantha dives full length to his right and grabs this in full flight.

Pathirana replaces Madushanka

PAK 213/2 (33 Overs)

Theekshana comes back

PAK 207/2 (32 Overs)

Madushanka returns

PAK 188/2 (31 Overs)

Shanaka comes back

PAK 182/2 (30 Overs)

Wellalage bowls

PAK 170/2 (29 Overs)

Pathirana returns

PAK 158/2 (28 Overs)

Wellalage again

PAK 151/2 (27 Overs)

Charith Asalanka comes on

PAK 141/2 (26 Overs)

Wellalage continues

PAK 138/2 (25 Overs)

Theekshana continues

PAK 133/2 (24 Overs)

Wellalage bowls

PAK 125/2 (23 Overs)

Theekshana returns

PAK 121/2 (22 Overs)

Wellalage continues

PAK 120/2 (21 Overs)

Dhananjaya continues

PAK 110/2 (20 Overs)

Wellalage replaces Pathirana

PAK 104/2 (19 Overs)

Dhananjaya de Silva into the attack

PAK 95/2 (18 Overs)

Pathirana continues to bowl

PAK 86/2 (17 Overs)

Wellalage continues

PAK 81/2 (16 Overs)

Pathirana continues

PAK 71/2 (15 Overs)

Dunith Wellalage comes on

PAK 69/2 (14 Overs)

Pathirana continues

PAK 61/2 (13 Overs)

Shanaka to continue

PAK 55/2 (12 Overs)

Matheesha Pathirana comes into the attack

PAK 52/2 (11 Overs)

Shanaka bowls

PAK 48/2 (10 Overs)

Dilshan Madushanka bowls

PAK 40/2 (9 Overs)

Shanaka continues

PAK 37/2 (8 Overs)

Madushanka again

PAK 36/1 (7 Overs)

Dasun Shanaka comes into the attack

PAK 27/1 (6 Overs)

Madushanka bowls again

PAK 22/1 (5 Overs)

Theekshana again

PAK 20/1 (4 Overs)

Madushanka continues

PAK 14/0 (3 Overs)

Theekshana continues

PAK 10/0 (2 Overs)

Dilshan Madushanka to bowl from the other end

PAK 6/0 (1 Over)

Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq come out to open for Pakistan. Maheesh Theekshana to bowl the first over.

PAKISTAN vs SRI LANKA (2nd Innings)

HYDERABAD: Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama scored magnificent centuries to help Sri Lanka post a mammoth 344/9 against Pakistan in the eighth match of the ICC World Cup 2023.

SL 344/9 (50 Overs)

Haris bowls the final over

SL 343/7 (49 Overs)

Shaheen bowls his last

SL 335/7 (48 Overs)

Hasan continues

SL 331/6 (47 Overs)

Shaheen comes back

SL 321/5 (46 Overs)

Hasan returns

SL 315/5 (45 Overs)

Haris continues

SL 309/5 (44 Overs)

Nawaz again

SL 298/5 (43 Overs)

Haris Rauf returns to the attack

SL 296/5 (42 Overs)

Mohammad Nawaz continues

SL 294/4 (41 Overs)

Hasan Ali returns to attack

SL 283/4 (40 Overs)

Mohammad Nawaz returns

SL 273/4 (39 Overs)

Shaheen Afridi continues

SL 270/4 (38 Overs)

Shadab Khan continues

SL 262/4 (37 Overs)

Shaheen Afridi returns to the attack

SL 255/4 (36 Overs)

Shadab Khan continues

SL 247/4 (35 Overs)

Haris Rauf continues

SL 244/4 (34 Overs)

Shadab Khan continues

SL 239/4 (33 Overs)

Haris Rauf returns to the attack

SL 232/4 (32 Overs)

Shadab Khan returns

SL 230/4 (31 Overs)

30.1: Asalanka plays the ball away from the body with an angled bat and gets a thick edge to the keeper

Hasan Ali continues

SL 229/3 (30 Overs)

Iftikhar Ahmed continues

SL 218/3 (29 Overs)

28.5: Mendis holes out at the edge of the midwicket boundary and Imam clings onto the catch in the deep

Hasan Ali continues

SL 204/2 (28 Overs)

Iftikhar Ahmed continues

SL 199/2 (27 Overs)

Hasan Ali returns

SL 186/2 (26 Overs)

Iftikhar Ahmed continues

SL 181/2 (25 Overs)

Shaheen Afridi returns to the attack

SL 167/2 (24 Overs)

Iftikhar Ahmed comes onto the bowl

SL 166/2 (23 Overs)

Mohammad Nawaz returns to bowl

SL 154/2 (22 Overs)

Shadab Khan continues

SL 147/2 (21 Overs)

Haris Rauf continues to bowl

SL 127/2 (20 Overs)

Shadab Khan continues

SL 115/2 (19 Overs)

Haris Rauf replaces Mohammad Nawaz

SL 112/2 (18 Overs)

17.2: Nissanka slashes it to the point and it goes straight into the lap of Shafique

Shadab Khan continues from the other end

SL 107/1 (17 Overs)

Nawaz continues

SL 98/1 (16 Overs)

Shadab Khan comes into the attack

SL 90/1 (15 Overs)

Nawaz continues

SL 88/1 (14 Overs)

Haris Rauf continues to bowl

SL 79/1 (13 Overs)

Nawaz continues

SL 73/1 (12 Overs)

Haris Rauf continues to bowl

SL 65/1 (11 Overs)

Nawaz continues

SL 58/1 (10 Overs)

Haris Rauf comes into the attack

SL 53/1 (9 Overs)

Mohammad Nawaz replaces Shaheen Afridi

SL 48/1 (8 Overs)

Hasan Ali continues

SL 37/1 (7 Overs)

Shaheen Afridi continues

SL 34/1 (6 Overs)

Hasan Ali continues to bowl

SL 29/1 (5 Overs)

Shaheen Afridi continues

SL 19/1 (4 Overs)

Hasan Ali continues to bowl

SL 14/1 (3 Overs)

Shaheen Afridi continues

SL 6/1 (2 Overs)

1.4: Perera looks to flay this over point but there’s a bit of extra bounce that induces the edge as the keeper completes a regulation take

Hasan Ali to bowl from the other end

SL 4/0 (1 Over)

Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Perera come out to open the innings. Shaheen Afridi to bowl the first over.

PAKISTAN vs SRI LANKA (1st INNINGS)

HYDERABAD: Sri Lanka have won the toss and elected to Bat first against Pakistan in the eighth match of the ICC World Cup 2023 at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.

PLAYING XIs

Sri Lanka

Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka (c), Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Dilshan Madushanka, Matheesha Pathirana

Watch ICC World Cup 2023 Live on ARY ZAP

Pakistan

Babar Azam (c), Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi

HEAD TO HEAD RECORD:

Overall ODIs: Matches 156, Pakistan 92, Sri Lanka 59, NR 4, Tie 1

ODI World Cup: Matches 8, Pakistan 7, Sri Lanka 0, NR 1

READ: Shubman Gill to miss second ICC World Cup 2023 match with dengue fever

The post Rizwan, Abdullah hit tons as Pakistan down Sri Lanka after record run-chase appeared first on ASports.tv.

PLAYING XIs

Pakistan

Babar Azam (c), Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi

Watch ICC World Cup 2023 Live on ARY ZAP

Sri Lanka

Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka (c), Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Dilshan Madushanka, Matheesha Pathirana

HEAD TO HEAD RECORD:

Overall ODIs: Matches 156, Pakistan 92, Sri Lanka 59, NR 4, Tie 1

ODI World Cup: Matches 8, Pakistan 7, Sri Lanka 0, NR 1

READ: Sri Lanka may get a boost ahead of ICC World Cup 2023 clash against Pakistan

The post ICC World Cup 2023: Sri Lanka win toss, elect to Bat first against Pakistan appeared first on ASports.tv.

Pakistan captain Babar Azam, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Muhammad Wasim Jr., Haris Rauf, Saud Shakeel, as well as reserve players Muhammad Haris, Zaman Khan and Abrar Ahmed are undergoing training drills.

The Green Shirts scripted a decent start to their campaign with a resounding 81-run victory over the Netherlands on Friday at the same venue.

A combined bowling effort after Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel’s anchoring half-centuries propelled Pakistan to taste their maiden success in the mega event.

Set to chase 287, the Netherlands could score 205 despite Bas de Leede and Vikramjit Singh’s half-centuries.

Singh scored 52 off 67 deliveries, laced with four boundaries and a six while de Leede top-scored for the Dutch with a 68-ball 67 which included six boundaries and two sixes.

Besides them, Logan van Beek offered some resistance with his unbeaten 28-run cameo.

Watch ICC World Cup 2023 Live on ARY ZAP

Haris Rauf was the pick of the bowlers for Pakistan with 3/43, followed by Hasan Ali with 2/33 while Shaheen Shah Afridi, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz struck out a batter each.

Put into bat first, Pakistan could register a below-par total of 286 runs on the board despite anchoring half-centuries.

Pakistan got off to a dismal start as they lost their top three Fakhar Zaman (12), Imam-ul-Haq (15) and Babar Azam (5) with just 38 runs on the board in 9.1 overs.

Following the slump, wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan was joined by young Saud Shakeel at the crease and the pair launched an astounding recovery.

Saud scored a brisk 68 in 52 deliveries, laced with nine boundaries and a six while Rizwan scored 75-ball 68, hitting eight boundaries.

All-rounders Shadab Khan (32) and Mohammad Nawaz (39) then put together a crucial partnership for the seventh wicket and added 64 runs to the total.

Pakistan squad for ICC World Cup 2023

Babar Azam (c), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, M Wasim Jnr, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha.

Travelling reserves: Mohammad Haris, Abrar Ahmed, Zaman Khan

READ: Mickey Arthur has inside knowledge of ‘dangerous’ Sri Lanka

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