KEY POINTS
- Babar Azam is eyeing a fourth century to join legends Hafeez and Inzamam with four centuries against the island nation.
- Pakistan leads Sri Lanka 93-59 in 157 ODIs and holds an 18-12 advantage in matches played on home soil.
- Shaheen Afridi looks to carry forward the winning momentum from Pakistan’s successful home series against South Africa into the Sri Lanka encounter.
RAWALPINDI, Pakistan: Pakistan will look to build on their recent success as they face Sri Lanka in a three-match ODI series starting Tuesday at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
The matches are scheduled for 10, 13, and 15 November, with each match set to begin at 2:30 PM local time, following the toss at 2:00 PM.
This series follows Pakistan’s strong performance against South Africa, where they secured victories in both the T20I and ODI series, winning 2-1 in both formats.
The series also marked Shaheen Shah Afridi’s first assignment as ODI captain, with the left-arm pacer leading Pakistan to a memorable win over the Proteas.
Reflecting on the series win, Afridi said, “Winning against South Africa was a big confidence booster. It was my first series as captain, and I’m proud of how the team came together and played as one. Our focus now is to carry this momentum into the Sri Lanka series and keep improving in every area.”
After this ODI series, Pakistan will take part in a tri-nation T20I series featuring Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe from 17 to 29 November, to be held in Rawalpindi and Lahore.
Pakistan vs Sri Lanka: Head-to-Head
Pakistan and Sri Lanka have faced off in 157 ODIs, with Pakistan winning 93 times and Sri Lanka claiming 59 victories. One match ended in a tie, and four matches had no result.
On Pakistani soil, the two teams have met 30 times, with Pakistan holding a strong 18-12 lead. The last bilateral ODI series between the teams in Pakistan was in 2019, with Pakistan winning 2-0.
Key Players to Watch
As Pakistan prepares for Tuesday’s starter, star batter Babar Azam is on the verge of several significant milestones. The 31-year-old has already proven his dominance against Sri Lanka, amassing 535 runs in just 12 ODIs, including three centuries.
A fourth century in this series would see Babar equal Mohammad Hafeez and Inzamam-ul-Haq as the joint second-highest century-makers against Sri Lanka, with four each.
The record for most centuries against Sri Lanka is held by Saeed Anwar, who scored seven centuries in 52 matches.
Babar’s tally of 535 runs against the islanders has come at an impressive average of 53.50, and he is closing in on Pakistan’s 1992 World Cup-winning captain Imran Khan, who scored 636 runs against Sri Lanka. A further 102 runs in this series would see Babar surpass Imran’s tally.
Babar is also approaching major milestones in his career, with 152 more runs needed to become the fourth Pakistani batter to score 5,000 international runs at home, joining cricketing legends Javed Miandad, Inzamam-ul-Haq, and Mohammad Yousuf.
Additionally, Babar requires just one more century to equal Saeed Anwar’s record of 20 ODI centuries, a mark that will place him among the all-time greats.
If Babar reaches his 20th century within the next 41 innings, he will surpass AB de Villiers to become the third-fastest player in ODI history to achieve the milestone, behind only Hashim Amla and Virat Kohli.
After the ODI series, Pakistan will continue their home campaign with a T20I tri-series involving Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, starting on November 17.
On the eve of the ODI series, Pakistan ODI captain Shaheen Shah Afridi reflected on the team’s recent success: “Looking ahead to the Sri Lanka series, our goal is to carry that momentum forward. We aim to build consistency in our performances and continue improving in every area as a team.”
“Sri Lanka is a disciplined side that always tests you with their skills. We’ll need to play smart cricket, stick to our plans, and maintain a positive mindset. Our focus is on evolving as a team and providing our fans with performances they can be proud of.”
Pakistan Squad
Pakistan’s 15-member squad for the series includes: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha
Broadcast Details
The ODI series will be broadcast live on A-Sports and Ten Sports in Pakistan. Fans can also stream the series on Tapmad and Tamasha.
International viewers can catch the action on Willow TV (North America), SuperSport (sub-Saharan Africa), Supreme TV and Dialog TV (Sri Lanka), TSports (Bangladesh), and Cricbuzz (Middle East, North Africa, and Southeast Asia).
Aamir Sohail and Waqar Younis, former Pakistan Test captains, along with Sri Lanka’s Russel Arnold and renowned commentator Roshan Abeysinghe, will provide live commentary. Zainab Abbas will host the show throughout the series.
