After a closely fought Test and ODI series, hosts Sri Lanka and Pakistan will face each other in the 1st T20 match at Colombo.
Pakistan emerged victorious in both the Tests and the ODI series with a superior performance in the batting and the bowling departments and will be looking forward to sweep the T20 series as well. Led by veteran Shahid Afridi, they have a bunch of in-form players like Shoaib Malik, Yasir Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan from the Tests and ODI series. By far, the visiting side looks the more balanced team compared to their counterparts and will start as the favourites in the 1st T20 match.
Talking about the home team, they are the defending T20 champions. Although they may have conceded both the Tests and ODIs, they would like to finish the tour on a winning note. With a string of uncapped players in their squad, they also have experienced players like T Dilshan, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perara. Most importantly the Lankans have a brand new skipper in the form of Lasith Malinga. Malinga has been entrusted with the responsibility for the T20 series before the ICC T20 World Cup in India next year.
Lets see if Malinga can produce some positive results or Afridi’s men will prevail yet again.
Probable XI:
Sri Lanka: Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kusal Perera, Kithruwan Vithanage, Chamara Kapugedra, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Dhananjay de Silva, Lasith Malinga(C), Nuwan Kulasekera, Binura Fernando, Milinda Siriwardane
Pakistan: Ahmad Shahzad, Mukhthar Ahmed, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Rizwan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shahid Afridi(C), Yasir Shah, Sohail Tanvir, Mohammad Irfan, Anwar Ali.
