Pakistan made four changes to their line-up for the third and final Twenty20 International against Sri Lanka, who won the toss and decided to bat first at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
Razaullah, who made his debut in the first T20I was brought back to the XI while spinner Sufyan Moqim, all-rounder Arafat Minhas and batter Abdul Samad were also handed playing time.
Seniors Shadab Khan, Saim Ayub, Naseem Shah and Abrar Ahmed were benched.
For Sri Lanka, spinner Maheesh Theekshana — who had an outing to forget in the second T20I — was replaced by younsgter Vijayakanth Viyaskanth.
The hosts are looking to complete a clean sweep of the three-match series. After winning the opening T20I by four wickets and securing a convincing 82-run victory in the second match, Pakistan have established a commanding position heading into the series finale.
The second T20I saw Pakistan deliver an impressive all-round performance with both bat and ball.
Young opener Maaz Sadaqat played a crucial role with a brilliant 96 off 51 deliveries, while captain Sahibzada Farhan contributed 73 runs to help Pakistan post a formidable total of 215 for three.
The bowlers then maintained control of the contest, restricting Sri Lanka to 133 for seven to seal a comprehensive victory.
For Sri Lanka, the third T20I presents an opportunity to bounce back and finish the tour on a positive note. Captain Kusal Mendis and his teammates will be eager to address their shortcomings, particularly with the bat, after struggling to keep pace with Pakistan’s aggressive approach in the previous encounter.
Pakistan, meanwhile, will aim to maintain their momentum and use the final fixture to further strengthen their combinations.
The performances of the top-order batters, the effectiveness of the bowling attack and the contributions of the all-rounders could once again prove decisive.
With the series already secured, Pakistan will enter the contest with confidence, while Sri Lanka will be determined to avoid a whitewash.
Teams:
PAKISTAN: Fakhar Zaman, Sahibzada Farhan (capt), Maaz Sadaqat, Hasan Nawaz, Abdul Samad, Khawaja Nafay (wk), Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran, Razaullah, Salman Mirza, Sufiyan Moqim
SRI LANKA: Lahiru Udara, Sineth Jayawardena, Kusal Mendis (capt), Kamindu Mendis, Sahan Arachige, Dasun Shanaka Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Vijaykanth Viyaskanth, Eshan Malinga, Binura Fernando, Nuwan Thushara