Chinmay Kore
Banned
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- 15 Mar 2015
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After an enthralling Test series, which Pakistan won 2-1 to secure their first Test series victory in Sri Lanka since March 2006, the action now shifts to the 50-over format as both teams lock horns in five ODI matches. For Pakistan, the ODI series will be of utmost importance as their progress could determine their qualification for the Champions Trophy in 2017. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, will use the ODIs as an opportunity to get back at the visitors after the agonising loss in the Tests.
Azhar Ali will lead the ninth-ranked tourists who need a series win to keep their hopes alive of qualifying for the eight-nation Champions Trophy in England. Azhar's men suffered a 3-0 embarrassment at the hands of Bangladesh in April, before beating Zimbabwe 2-0 in their first home series since the 2009 militant attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore. They will be hoping to leave no stone unturned in their attempt to make it to the multi-team event in 2017.
Sri Lanka, playing their first one-day series since the retirement of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara from the shorter format after the World Cup, are also rebuilding for the future. The Angelo Mathews-led side have a bunch of youngsters in the team, who will be looking at the series as an opportunity to showcase their skills and cement a place in the Lankan outfit. Meanwhile, the hosts will bank on seasoned cricketers like Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga and Lasith Malinga to assist Mathews in guiding the youngsters in the side.
Match Date: 11 July 2015
Venue: Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium
Time: 10:00 local time (10:00 IST)
Weather: Mostly cloudy with a high of 30 degree Celsius
Team News:
Sri Lanka:
The hosts, who were also World Cup quarter-finalists like Pakistan, have included two new allrounders, Milinda Siriwardana and Sachith Pathirana, both of whom bowl left-arm spin. Sri Lanka's 15-man squad, led by Mathews, includes just six players who took part in the preceding Test series. However, there is a good mix of youth and experience in the Sri Lankan ODI side and the hosts will be hoping that the unit fires in unison and prevents Pakistan from leaving the Lankan soil with another series trophy.
Probable XI: Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kusal Perera, Upul Tharanga, Lahiru Thirimanne, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews (capt), Thisara Perera, Milinda Siriwardana/Sachith Pathirana, Sachithra Senanayake/Seekuge Prasanna, Suranga Lakmal/Nuwan Pradeep, Lasith Malinga
Pakistan:
Pakistan have called up left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Irfan, who has recovered from a hip injury suffered during the World Cup. But pace spearhead Wahab Riaz is still sidelined with a hand injury sustained during the Test series, while spinning allrounder Haris Sohail has an injured knee. The touring squad includes two new batsmen in Mukhtar Ahmed, 22, and Bilal Asif, 29, while batsman-wicketkeeper Umar Akmal and seamer Junaid Khan were not selected. The presence of Sohaib Malik, Mohammed Hafeez and Ahmed Shehzad adds stability to the batting order, which has a couple of newcomers.
Probable XI: Ahmed Shehzad, Azhar Ali (capt), Mukhtar Ahmed, Bilal Asif/Mohammad Hafeez, Asad Shafiq, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed, Yasir Shah, Anwar Ali, Mohammad Irfan, Rahat Ali
Stats:
3: The number of wickets Angelo Mathews requires to reach the milestone of 100 ODI wickets. He is set to become the fourth Sri Lankan player after Sanath Jayasuriya, Aravinda de Silva and Tillakaratne Dilshan with 3000+ runs and 100+ wickets in ODIs.
9: The number of years since Pakistan last won a bilateral ODI series in Sri Lanka.
Quotes:
"This is obviously a very important series for us and we will make sure we play well and win. Most of the players know what to expect in Sri Lanka. We are ready"
- Pakistan captain, Azhar Ali says his team is geared up
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Azhar Ali will lead the ninth-ranked tourists who need a series win to keep their hopes alive of qualifying for the eight-nation Champions Trophy in England. Azhar's men suffered a 3-0 embarrassment at the hands of Bangladesh in April, before beating Zimbabwe 2-0 in their first home series since the 2009 militant attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore. They will be hoping to leave no stone unturned in their attempt to make it to the multi-team event in 2017.
Sri Lanka, playing their first one-day series since the retirement of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara from the shorter format after the World Cup, are also rebuilding for the future. The Angelo Mathews-led side have a bunch of youngsters in the team, who will be looking at the series as an opportunity to showcase their skills and cement a place in the Lankan outfit. Meanwhile, the hosts will bank on seasoned cricketers like Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga and Lasith Malinga to assist Mathews in guiding the youngsters in the side.
Match Date: 11 July 2015
Venue: Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium
Time: 10:00 local time (10:00 IST)
Weather: Mostly cloudy with a high of 30 degree Celsius
Team News:
Sri Lanka:
The hosts, who were also World Cup quarter-finalists like Pakistan, have included two new allrounders, Milinda Siriwardana and Sachith Pathirana, both of whom bowl left-arm spin. Sri Lanka's 15-man squad, led by Mathews, includes just six players who took part in the preceding Test series. However, there is a good mix of youth and experience in the Sri Lankan ODI side and the hosts will be hoping that the unit fires in unison and prevents Pakistan from leaving the Lankan soil with another series trophy.
Probable XI: Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kusal Perera, Upul Tharanga, Lahiru Thirimanne, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews (capt), Thisara Perera, Milinda Siriwardana/Sachith Pathirana, Sachithra Senanayake/Seekuge Prasanna, Suranga Lakmal/Nuwan Pradeep, Lasith Malinga
Pakistan:
Pakistan have called up left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Irfan, who has recovered from a hip injury suffered during the World Cup. But pace spearhead Wahab Riaz is still sidelined with a hand injury sustained during the Test series, while spinning allrounder Haris Sohail has an injured knee. The touring squad includes two new batsmen in Mukhtar Ahmed, 22, and Bilal Asif, 29, while batsman-wicketkeeper Umar Akmal and seamer Junaid Khan were not selected. The presence of Sohaib Malik, Mohammed Hafeez and Ahmed Shehzad adds stability to the batting order, which has a couple of newcomers.
Probable XI: Ahmed Shehzad, Azhar Ali (capt), Mukhtar Ahmed, Bilal Asif/Mohammad Hafeez, Asad Shafiq, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed, Yasir Shah, Anwar Ali, Mohammad Irfan, Rahat Ali
Stats:
3: The number of wickets Angelo Mathews requires to reach the milestone of 100 ODI wickets. He is set to become the fourth Sri Lankan player after Sanath Jayasuriya, Aravinda de Silva and Tillakaratne Dilshan with 3000+ runs and 100+ wickets in ODIs.
9: The number of years since Pakistan last won a bilateral ODI series in Sri Lanka.
Quotes:
"This is obviously a very important series for us and we will make sure we play well and win. Most of the players know what to expect in Sri Lanka. We are ready"
- Pakistan captain, Azhar Ali says his team is geared up
[COPYRIGHT SIGN] Cricbuzz
