By Asif Naveed
RAWALPINDI; Pakistan will look to continue their winning momentum in white-ball cricket as they face Sri Lanka in a three-match ODI series, starting Tuesday at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The second and third ODIs are scheduled at the same venue on November 13 and 15. All matches will begin at 2:30pm local time, with the toss set for 2pm, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced.
The series comes after Pakistan’s successful home campaign against South Africa, where the hosts won both the T20I and ODI series 2-1. The series against South Africa also marked Shaheen Shah Afridi’s first assignment as ODI captain, and the left-arm pacer led Pakistan to an impressive victory.
Following the Sri Lanka ODIs, Pakistan will participate in a tri-nation T20I series featuring Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe from November 17 to 29 in Rawalpindi and Lahore.
In head-to-head records, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have played 157 ODIs, with Pakistan winning 93 and Sri Lanka 59, while five matches ended in a tie or no result. On Pakistani soil, Pakistan holds an 18-12 advantage in 30 ODIs, having last hosted Sri Lanka in 2019 and won 2-0.
Top players like Babar Azam boast strong records against Sri Lanka, with 535 runs in 12 ODIs at an average of 53.50, including three centuries.
Shaheen Shah Afridi, ahead of the series, said, “Our win against South Africa boosted our confidence. Going into the Sri Lanka series, we aim to maintain this momentum, play smart cricket, stick to plans, and continue improving as a team to give our fans performances they can be proud of.”
Pakistan ODI Squad:
Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha
