The familiar cricketing foes of Asia are in a battle once again but this time it’s the shorter format of the game wearing coloured clothing and using white balls in a five-match series which starts on 11th July in Dambulla.
Most of the fan-favourites of both nations are retired and new blood has been injected with the intention of building for the 2017 Champions Trophy and 2019 World Cup. Sri Lanka will be playing their first ODI series without two of their most-accomplished batsmen Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara. After their World Cup exit from quarter-finals, they are planning well-ahead for the future to build a consistent bunch of players.
Pakistan suffered their worst loss of 3-0 against Bangladesh after the World Cup but they recovered well to beat Zimbabwe on home soil, 2-0. They are still searching for the best combination going forward after the retirements of Misbah Ul-Haq, Younis Khan and Shahid Afridi. This ODI series is equally important for Pakistan as they need to win it in order to keep their hopes alive for qualification to ICC Champions Trophy 2017.
The Test series was equally fought between the two teams but the trophy was won by the visiting Pakistanis in Pallekelle after three quality Test matches. The young brigade of Sri Lanka failed to live up to their expectations but the new-look ODI team is far more capable of turning the tables. Sri Lanka is one of the dangerous teams in ODI format and the last bilateral series played between these familiar foes was convincingly won by the Islanders, 2-1 last August.
Sri Lanka’s strengths and weaknesses
Sri Lanka will have the services of TM Dilshan at the top of the order and in the absence of Sangakkara and Mahela, he will have to lead the batting unit together with Captain Marvel, Angelo Mathews. The lower middle order will be the weak link in the inexperienced batting lineup but the likes of Ashan Priyanjan and Dinesh Chandimal must step up and do the job.
Thisara Perera fetched four wickets the last time these two teams played, but since then his bowling form has been debatable. He is a genuine match-winner both with bat and ball and a fruitful series against Pakistan will see him bolstering the Lankan chances of winning the series. Lasith Malinga will once again lead the bowling attack and his presence will clear Angelo’s mind from wicket-taking problems the hosts’ had in the latter part of the Test series.
Sachithra Senanayake is the most experienced spinner named in the squad after the omission of Rangana Herath and he will have to be on top of the game to cement his place in the playing XI for the future. The uncapped left-arm spin all-rounders, Milinda Siriwardana and Sachith Pathirana must grab their opportunities with both hands. Milinda had a dream 2014/15 first-class season amassing 1044 runs in 10 matches for Badureliya SC while Sachith has grabbed 86 List A wickets with an impressive average of 22.58 in the past couple of domestic seasons for Colts CC.
Sri Lanka squad – Angelo Mathews (captain), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kusal Perera, Upul Tharanga, Lahiru Thirimanne, Dinesh Chandimal, Milinda Siriwardana, Ashan Priyanjan, Nuwan Pradeep, Thisara Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Lasith Malinga, Sachithra Senanayake, Seekkuge Prasanna, Sachith Pathirana.
Pakistan’s strengths and weaknesses
Azhar Ali has risen to the occasion and to the role of captaining the ODI team adjusting his batting style. He recently slammed a fabulous ton against Bangladesh in a losing cause but he will have to lead his team to victory against a strong Sri Lanka team but his form in Tests during the past few weeks will help his confidence. Players like Mohammed Hafeez and Ahmed Shehzad will need to be consistent with the bat to give the visitors solid starts which they did not get in the recent series’.
Leg-spinner, Yasir Shah has taken only 4 wickets in 5 ODIs so far but his man-of-the-series performance against Sri Lanka in the Tests will make him the leader of the bowling attack and the most feared bowler to face for the hosts’. The return of 7”1 feet tall left-armer, Mohammed Irfan into the squad will spice up their inexperienced fast-bowling unit minus Wahab Riaz who is out of the series with an injury.
Pakistan squad – Azhar Ali (captain), Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Mukhtar Ahmed, Asad Shafiq, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Sarfraz Ahmed, Yasir Shah, Bilal Asif, Imad Wasim, Anwar Ali, Mohammad Irfan, Ehsan Adil, Rahat Ali.
