Pakistan vs Sri Lanka: Probable lineups and head-to-head

• Pakistan and Sri Lanka battle for momentum.
• Pakistan has dominated Sri Lanka in ODI World Cups.
• Pitch expected to favor batsmen, but spinners could play a role.

Cricket fans worldwide are gearing up for an exciting clash as Asian cricketing giants Pakistan and Sri Lanka prepare to lock horns in the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023.

The match is scheduled to take place at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium on October 10.

Both teams have had their share of ups and downs in the lead-up to this marquee event. Pakistan, who had a disappointing Asia Cup 2023 campaign and faced defeats in their warm-up matches against New Zealand and Australia, made a strong comeback in their opening match against the Netherlands. Led by captain Babar Azam, they overcame batting collapses to set a challenging target of 287 and secured an impressive 81-run victory.

Sri Lanka, on the other hand, entered the tournament after a demoralizing loss in the Asia Cup finals against a formidable Indian side. They also faced setbacks in their warm-up matches against Bangladesh and Afghanistan. The Sri Lankan team is missing key performers like Dushmantha Chameera and Wanindu Hasaranga.

In their first match against South Africa in Delhi, Sri Lanka’s bowling struggled as the Proteas posted a record-breaking 428/5 in their 50 overs, ultimately dismissing Dasun Shanaka’s men for 326.

The Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium is known for witnessing high-scoring encounters, with pitches favoring the batsmen. In the two warm-up matches held at this venue, teams consistently scored over 300 runs in their innings. However, the pitch showed signs of spin in the second innings of the Netherlands-Pakistan encounter, with Shadab Khan extracting considerable turn. This could potentially pose a challenge for the Sri Lankan team, as the pitch might not be as batting-friendly as the one they played on in Delhi against South Africa during the ODI World Cup 2023.

Pakistan is eyeing a win in this crucial clash to gain momentum for their highly-anticipated showdown against arch-rivals India on Saturday, October 14. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka aims to draw confidence from their recent last-ball victory against Pakistan in the Asia Cup and get their campaign back on track.

In their head-to-head record in ICC ODI World Cup tournaments, Pakistan has dominated Sri Lanka, winning seven out of eight encounters, with one match ending without a result.

Probable Lineups:

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

Sri Lanka: Kusal Perera, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka (c), Dunith Wellalage, Matheesha Pathirana, Kasun Rajitha, Maheesh Theekshana

Cricket enthusiasts are eagerly awaiting this clash between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, as the two teams battle it out in a bid to advance further in the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023.

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