In a do-or-die match, co-hosts Pakistan and Sri Lanka will face each other at the R.K. Stadium in Colombo on Thursday. They will face each other in the Super Four match of Asia Cup 2023 at the Premadasa Stadium. The winner of this match will set a final date with India on Sunday. Both teams currently have two points each from as many matches, one win and one loss. However, the Lankan Lions are in the second position with a net run rate of -0.200, while Pakistan is in the third position with a net run rate of -1.892.
As both the teams fight for the win, the weather remains the most debated topic, as it has been during the Sri Lankan leg of the Asia Cup 2023. Thursday’s weather forecast is similar with heavy rain likely during the game. According to Accuweather, the storm is forecast to have an average of 50 percent chance of rainfall. It will be a start-stop encounter, with groundsmen working overtime to ensure that the outfield remains dry enough for a game of cricket.
The temperature will be around 27 to 31 degrees Celsius. However, the actual feeling will be two to three degrees higher due to humidity, which is expected to be in the 80s.
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Pakistan Makes Five Changes To Their Playing XI For Sri Lanka Tie
Babar Azam and Co. have made five changes to their line-up to win the match against Sri Lanka on Thursday. They have dropped left-handed opening batsman Fakhar Zaman, who has struggled for consistency in the Asia Cup, scoring only 61 runs at an average of 20.33. Mohammad Haris has been selected in place of the senior batsman.
The Men in Green also had to make three changes due to injuries, with Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, and Salman Ali Aga all missing. Mohammad Wasim and Zaman Khan will now join Shaheen Afridi in Pakistan’s pace unit. Faheem Ashraf has also been left out of the side to include a spin-bowling all-rounder in Mohammad Nawaz.
Pakistan playing XI: Mohammad Haris, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim, and Zaman Khan.
