Tri-series begins tomorrow
Sri Lanka CricketNews article
The tri-nation one-day international cricket series featuring Sri Lanka, England and hosts Pakistan is scheduled to be held from October 18 to 31, centred on the Pakistani cities of Rawalpindi and Lahore. The Sri Lankan side, joining the series under the captaincy of Kusal Mendis, will have to play at their very best against two strong opponents in the international one-day arena.
The three teams in the series will be led by Kusal Mendis, Harry Brook and Shaheen Shah Afridi respectively. In the ODI team rankings Pakistan are fifth, England sixth and Sri Lanka seventh, so the series offers all three sides an important chance to consolidate their positions.
Pakistan
The Pakistan side led by Shaheen Shah Afridi come into this series with a host of players capable of performing with both bat and ball.
Babar Azam, one of the biggest hopes of Pakistan's batting, has so far scored 6,626 runs in 143 ODIs, including 20 centuries and 38 half-centuries. Having scored 700 runs with four centuries against Sri Lanka and 854 runs with two centuries and five half-centuries against England, he will pose a strong challenge to the Sri Lankan bowlers in this series.
Opening batter Fakhar Zaman and all-rounder Salman Ali Agha are also ready to play important roles in Pakistan's batting. Fast bowlers Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah, as well as leg-spinner Shadab Khan, strengthen Pakistan's bowling attack.
England
The England team, joining the series under Harry Brook's captaincy, includes both experienced players and emerging talents. It is also notable that England come into this series after winning their most recent series in Sri Lanka 2–1.
Harry Brook, who has scored 1,530 runs in 44 ODIs, is England's foremost batting hope. Joe Root's experience and batting stability are also important for England, and he has so far scored 7,903 runs in 195 ODIs. Root, who can contribute with the ball too, has taken 31 wickets.
Leg-spinner Adil Rashid, with 243 wickets, has become England's leading bowling force. The contributions of players such as Will Jacks, Sam Curran and Ben Duckett will also be important to the balance of the England side.
Sri Lanka
The Sri Lankan squad joining the series under Kusal Mendis's captaincy includes experienced players as well as players hoping to establish their talent.
Along with Kusal Mendis, Avishka Fernando, Lahiru Udara, Pawan Rathnayake, Kamil Mishara and Kamindu Mendis are part of the batting department. All-rounders Dasun Shanaka, Dunith Wellalage, Janith Liyanage and Sahan Arachchige will also be important to the team's balance.
In the bowling department, Maheesh Theekshana, Sachindu Colombage, Dushmantha Chameera, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka and Eshan Malinga are included in the squad.
On Pakistani pitches, the contribution of the fast bowlers, the control of the spinners and the batters' consistency in scoring runs will be the main factors deciding Sri Lanka's results. In particular, maintaining consistency of performance across the two matches against hosts Pakistan and the two against England is important for Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka ODI squad
Kusal Mendis (captain), Lahiru Udara, Avishka Fernando, Pawan Rathnayake, Kamil Mishara, Kamindu Mendis, Sahan Arachchige, Dunith Wellalage, Janith Liyanage, Dasun Shanaka, Maheesh Theekshana, Sachindu Colombage, Dushmantha Chameera, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka and Eshan Malinga.
Match schedule
- October 18: Pakistan v Sri Lanka – Rawalpindi
- October 20: Pakistan v England – Rawalpindi
- October 22: England v Sri Lanka – Rawalpindi
- October 25: Pakistan v England – Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
- October 27: Pakistan v Sri Lanka – Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
- October 29: England v Sri Lanka – Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
- October 31: Final – Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
All matches are scheduled to be played as day/night games.
In the preliminary round of the series each team will play two matches against each of the other two sides, and the teams qualifying for the final will be decided by their performances in that round.
This series is important for Sri Lanka because it offers a chance to further strengthen their one-day game against strong opponents and to consolidate their position in the international arena. If the side led by Kusal Mendis can produce balanced performances in all three departments – batting, bowling and fielding – they can strengthen their hopes of reaching the final.
Based on Sri Lanka Cricket reporting