Sri lanka will look to prevent a clean sweep by Pakistan on the current tour when they clash in two Twenty20 internationals in Colombo on Thursday and Saturday. Pakistan won the preceding Test series 2-1 and also clinched the ODIs 3-2 to earn a double triumph in the island nation for the first time since 2006.
But Sri lanka, the reigning World T20 champions and the top-ranked side in the shortest format, get a chance to salvage pride in the two end-of-tour games at the Premadasa stadium.
Both sides wear a fresh look under new captains, with lasith Malinga leading Sri lanka and veteran Shahid Afridi taking over at the helm for Pakistan.
While Malinga has retired from Tests and played in four of the five one-dayers, Afridi has quit the other two formats and will make his first appearance on the tour.
With the next World T20 just eight months away, both sides have blooded new players to give them experience.Sri lanka’s 15-man squad includes five uncapped players in batsmen Shehan Jayasuriya, Dasun Shanaka and Dhananjaya de Silva, fast bowler Binura Fernando and leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay.
Test and one-day regulars Dinesh Chandimal and lahiru Thirimanne have been omitted, but seasoned seamer Nuwan Kulasekara has been recalled after being ignored for the one-day series.
“We need to get the younger brigade in the stream so that we have a gradual transition leading up to the next World T20 and the 50-over World Cup beyond that,” Sri lanka’s chief selector Kapila Wijegunawardene was quoted as saying.Afridi is one of five players set to contest the T20 series who did not feature for Pakistan in either the Test or ODIs.
Wahab Riaz, sidelined with a fractured hand, will be replaced by another left-arm quick Zia-ul-Haq. leg-spinner Yasir Shah, who picked up 24 wickets in the three Tests, returns to the Twenty20 fold after four years, while 33-year-old fast bowler Mohammad Irfan has also been picked.
Zim: Pak will tour next month
Harare: Zimbabwe Cricket chairman Wilson Manase says Pakistan’s incoming tour will go ahead next month with a revised schedule.Pakistan was set for a month long visit from August 17, then reportedly decided to delay the ODIs so as not to jeopardise its qualification for the 2017 Champions Trophy. But Manase said Pakistan will tour to become the first Test nation to play there in six years.Zimbabwe first hosts New Zealand for three one-day internationals and a one-off Twenty20 from Sunday.
