Pakistan are looking forward to extend their dominance in the One Day Internationals (ODIs) as they will face Sri Lanka in 2nd match of the series, being played at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi today (Monday).
Sarfraz and Co. have dominated the 50-over game after losing to India in the group stage of the Champions Trophy.
Since then, it has been a dominating display by the Man in Green, as they won the ICC Champions Trophy in England, despite odds were against them.
Not a single team, have managed to put on 240 runs against Pakistan in last five ODI. Sarfraz XI showed similar form against Sri Lanka in the 1st ODI which they had won by 83 runs. That was an all round effort of the team. Now they are all set to face the same opponents at Abu Dhabi.
Captain Sarfraz told reporters that they will go with same combination in the 2nd ODI.
The Man of the Match in the 1st ODI, Shoaib Malik believes youngsters should be given the chance to carry a winning momentum into the second day-night international.
Malik’s swashbuckling 61-ball 81 and a return to form 103 by Babar Malik lifted Pakistan to 292-6 in the first one-day in Dubai on Friday before they kept Sri Lanka to 209-8 for a 83-run win.
“It’s important to give youngsters consistent chances and by doing that we develop them and the team does well,” said Malik.
“We have good fast bowlers and the way they took wickets in the middle overs during the Champions trophy it helped us beat top teams and here too they bowled well and got us wickets we needed,” said Malik.
Fast-rising paceman Hasan Ali — declared player of the Champions trophy with 13 wickets — finished with 3-36 while left-armer Rumman Raees took 3-49 to derail Sri Lanka.
Sri Lankan coach Nic Pothas is demanding his players snap a losing streak of eight consecutive games.
“We have not been very good in this format for a while now,” said Pothas, a former South African wicket-keeper. “We have to find answers and find them quick.”
Pothas wants his batsmen to deliver.
“From a batting point of view, the currency of your batting is runs. If you don’t keep making them, the shop is going to close down at some point. We have to ask the batters to take some responsibility.”
The remaining matches will be played in Abu Dhabi (October 18) and Sharjah (October 20 and 23).
The two teams will also play three Twenty20 internationals, two in Abu Dhabi (October 26 and 27) while the last is scheduled for Lahore on October 29.