Sri Lanka opt to field in final T20I

Pakistan make four changes, bringing in Sufiyan, Samad, Razaullah and Arafat

KARACHI:

Sri Lanka on Tuesday decided to field first after winning the toss in the third and final T20I against Pakistan at the Pindi Stadium in Rawalpindi.

Pakistan made four changes, bringing in Sufiyan Moqeem, Abdul Samad, Razaullah and Arafat Minhas. Shadab Khan, Saim Ayub, Naseem Shah and Abrar Ahmed were rested.

Sri Lanka went to the crucial game with one change.

Pakistan have already taken 2-0 unassailable lead in the three-match series.

On October 9 Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by four wickets.

Pakistan chased the 183-run target with seven balls to spare after losing six wickets in the process.

Skipper Sahibzada Farhan led the show with magnificent 89 and he was ably backed by dashing youngster Maaz Sadaqat with a fiery 50.

In bowling Naseem Shah led the attack with three crucial wickets, although he remained a bit expensive while Imran Randhawa, who made his debut, took two wickets.

In the second clash also at the Pindi Stadium Pakistan crushed Sri Lanka by 82 runs to seal series.

Pakistan rode on superb batting display from Mazz Sadqat (96) and Sahibzada Farhan (73) to post 215-3, the country’s highest total in T20I on home soil and their second best in this format.

Imran Randhawa then took 3-11 in his four overs quota to restrict Sri Lanka to 133-7.

Under new captain Farhan team have done extremely well so far.

In the first match young pace-sensation Razaullah, who made his dream debut in Test cricket in England, had been drafted but he was replaced by Salman Mirza in the second show where he got two crucial wickets.

In 2019 tour of Pakistan, Sri Lanka had clean-swept the hosts 3-0 and now Pakistan have a major opportunity to take revenge.

Sri Lanka have been unable to produce anything noteworthy in the series. They have been struggling in the format in recent months, having also lost away series to West Indies 2-1 and England 3-0.

Pakistan squad:  Sahibzada Farhan (captain), Fakhar Zaman, Maaz Sadaqat, Hasan Nawaz, Arafat Minhas, Khawaja Nafay, Abdul Samad, Salman Mirza, Imran Randhawa, Razaullah, Sufiyan Muqeeem