Pakistan are batting against Sri Lanka in the opening match of the tri-nation ODI series at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to field first, putting Pakistan in to bat on a fresh-looking pitch.
Pakistan lost their first wicket at 23 runs when opener Saim Ayub was dismissed for seven. Fakhar Zaman followed after scoring 16, leaving Pakistan looking to rebuild their innings following the early setbacks.
Babar Azam was the third Pakistani batter to depart, scoring 45 runs before his dismissal at a team total of 106. His innings provided a contribution in the middle order, although Pakistan lost another key wicket while attempting to establish a competitive total.
Pakistan captain Shaheen Afridi said after the toss that the pitch was fresh and that his team would have chosen to bat first even if they had won the toss. He added that Pakistan would aim to post a total of around 300 runs in the match.
The opening ODI also marks the international one-day debut of wicketkeeper-batter Saad Baig. Shaheen confirmed the youngster’s inclusion, giving him an opportunity to make his mark in the 50-over format.
Pakistan’s announced lineup includes Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Hassan Nawaz, Salman Ali Agha, Saad Baig, Arafat Minhas, Faheem Ashraf, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf, alongside captain Shaheen Afridi.
The tri-nation series features Pakistan, Sri Lanka and England. The opening encounter in Rawalpindi offers Pakistan an opportunity to begin their campaign strongly, while Sri Lanka will look to capitalise on their decision to bowl first and restrict the home side to a manageable total.
