Sri Lanka play Pakistan this afternoon in the final of the ODI tri-series also involving England, at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
The match starts at 1.30 p.m. Sri Lanka time, Hiru News reported at 7.19 a.m. on Saturday. That is 1 p.m. local time in Pakistan.
How the two sides got here
Both have already beaten the other once in this tournament. Pakistan won the opening fixture by 37 runs. Sri Lanka answered on 27 October, bowling Pakistan out for 110 and chasing it down in 18.1 overs to win by eight wickets — Dilshan Madushanka taking 5 for 34 and Kamindu Mendis finishing unbeaten on 62. That result sealed Sri Lanka’s place in the final with a match in hand.
Sri Lanka’s last group game, against England on Thursday, no longer affected qualification. They lost it — England’s only win of the tournament, after three straight defeats had already put them out of contention. Hiru’s own headline on that match described a Sri Lankan side beaten with victory in sight.
ESPNcricinfo’s preview, published Friday by Danyal Rasool, called the tournament an unusually clean one — balanced sides, varied pitches across Rawalpindi and Lahore, cooperative weather and full crowds — building to “quite a juicy-looking contest” between two teams whose strengths differ sharply.
What is at stake
For Sri Lanka, under captain Kusal Mendis, the final is the last fixture of a series that has served as preparation for next year’s World Cup in southern Africa, with Pathum Nissanka and Wanindu Hasaranga still to return from injury.
Not reported
Neither filing names a playing eleven for either side. Hiru’s report is three sentences and gives no team news, toss information or conditions. This desk has not independently verified the detail of Thursday’s England result, which is not the subject of either source cited here; no article on that match was published by this desk.