World Cup 2019: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, Match Preview

The stage is set for a fascinating contest between two Asian rivals Pakistan and Sri Lanka who will go head-to-head at the County Ground in Bristol.

Pakistan will be brimming with confidence after hammering England in front of their home crowd while Sri Lanka registered a crucial win against Afghanistan in their previous encounter. Both the teams will be looking to keep their winning momentum going heading into this crunch game.

After being thrashed by West Indies in their opening game, Pakistan went on to script a memorable win against the tournament favorites, England. They scored 348 runs on the back of some excellent knocks by Hafeez (84), Babar Azam (63) and Sarfaraz Ahmed (55) and their bowlers then held their nerve to seal the victory.

Pakistan’s bowling has always been their prime weapon and the left-arm combination of Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz will be pivotal to their success in this competition. After a resounding win over England, Pakistan will be hoping for the same kind of performance in the upcoming match.

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have struggled over the last few years, but after scripting an impressive comeback in their previous game against Afghanistan, the Lankans will fancy their chances in this World Cup.

The onus will be on the Sri Lankan batsmen, who failed to perform in both their previous encounters, to step up and take their side to another victory.

Match Details

Date: Friday, 7th June 2019

Time: 03:00 PM IST

Venue: County Ground, Bristol

League: ICC World Cup 2019

Live Telecast: Star Network

Online Streaming: Hotstar

Venue Stats

Avg 1st Innings score: 243

Avg 2nd Innings score: 216

Highest Total: 373/5 (50 Ov) by ENGW vs RSAW

Lowest Total: 92/10 (24.5 Ov) by ZIM vs ENG

Highest Chased: 359/4 (44.5 Ov) by ENG vs PAK

Lowest Defended: 182/10 (50 Ov) by NZ vs ENG

Team News

Pakistan

• Pakistan are expected to name an unchanged side.

Sri Lanka

• Jeevan Mendis might make his way back into the starting lineup.
• Isuru Udana could make way for Milinda Siriwardana in the upcoming match.

Squads

Pakistan

Sarfaraz Ahmed (C & W), Shoaib Malik, Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Fakhar Zaman, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq, Asif Ali, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Hasnain

Sri Lanka

Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Avishka Fernando, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Jeffery Vandersay, Thisara Perera, Isuru Udana, Lasith Malinga, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Jeevan Mendis, Milinda Siriwardana

Key players

Pakistan

• Imam-ul-Haq
• Babar Azam
• Wahab Riaz

Sri Lanka

• Kusal Perera
• Kusal Mendis
• Lasith Malinga

Probable Playing XI

Pakistan

Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Sarfaraz Ahmed (C & W), Asif Ali, Imad Wasim, Wahab Riaz, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, and Mohammad Hasnain

Sri Lanka

Kusal Perera, Dimuth Karunaratane, Kusal Mendis, Lahiru Thirimanne, Dhananjaya de Silva/ Milinda Siriwardana, Angelo Matthews, Thisara Perera, Jeevan Mendis, Nuwan Pradeep/ Isuru Udana, Suranga Lakmal and Lasith Malinga

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