LAHORE: Eight years after being targeted in a militant attack, Sri Lanka will become the first major team to return to Pakistan, giving the cricket-starved nation a huge fillip in its efforts to revive international cricket in the country.
Improved security in the country has helped Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) take gradual steps towards bringing international cricket back to the country.
The PCB held a limited-overs series with Zimbabwe in 2015, the final of Pakistan Super League’s second edition earlier this year, and a three-match series against a World XI — all in Lahore.
That helped convince Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to send their team for the third and final Twenty20 International in Lahore on Sunday (today).
The tour was in doubt after Upul Tharanga, Sri Lanka’s regular T20I captain, withdrew, forcing the SLC to hand the captaincy to untried Thisara Perera.
Other players, including Suranga Lakmal and Chamara Kapugedara who were on the bus that was attacked in 2009, also refused to tour.
Pakistan will look to register another clean sweep by winning the third T20 match. They clean swept the ODI series, thrashing Sri Lanka 5-0.
They have clinched the three-match series by winning the first two matches, in the UAE. In the second match on Friday, Pakistan found heroes in Faheem Ashraf and Shadab Khan who took them to a nervy two-wicket win. Ashraf (3 for 16) became the first Pakistani to record a hat-trick in T20Is.
Pakistan needed 12 off the last over. Shadab, 18, hit the fourth ball of the over for a six and played the fifth ball for two to seal the series 2-0.
Sri Lanka will fly to Lahore early on Sunday to play the last match later in the evening and will then dash off home the same night in a fly-in, fly-out arrangement.
Pakistan’s hopes will be pinned on the successful conduct of this T20I — a precursor in bringing West Indies for three T20Is next month.
Perera said he was happy with what security he had seen last month. “I was really happy with that security,” said Perera.
“Unluckily we lost the series, but we were really impressed by security because everyone enjoyed (themselves).”
Teams (from):
Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (capt, wk), Fakhar Zaman, Ahmed Shehzad, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Aamer Yamin, Mohammad Amir, Usman Shinwari, Umar Amin.
Sri Lanka: Thisara Perera (capt), Dilshan Munaweera, Danushka Gunathilaka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Ashan Priyanjan, Mahela Udawatte, Dasun Shanaka, Minod Bhanuka (wk), Sachith Pathirana, Vikum Sanjaya, Lahiru Gamage, Seekkuge Prasanna, Vishwa Fernando, Isuru Udana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Chaturanga de Silva.
Score Board
Pakistan won toss
Sri Lanka
D Gunathilaka c Wasim b Shadab 51
D Munaweera run out 19
†S Samarawickrama run out 32
S Prasanna run out 1
*T Perera c sub (Nawaz) b Hasan 3
D Shanaka lbw b Ashraf 1
I Udana c Hasan b Ashraf 6
M Udawatte c Azam b Ashraf 0
S Pathirana c sub (Nawaz) b Hasan 1
S Priyanjan not out 2
V Sanjaya not out 4
Extras (lb 1, w 3) 4
Total (9 wkts; 20 overs) 124
Fall: 1-43, 2-106, 3-107, 4-109, 5-111, 6-117, 7-117, 8-117, 9-119
Bowling: Imad 4-0-23-0 (2w); Shinwari 2-0-18-0; Hasan 4-0-31-2; Ashraf 3-0-16-3; Shadab 4-0-14-1; Hafeez 3-0-21-0
Pakistan
Ahmed Shehzad c Shanaka b Perera 27
Fakhar Zaman run out 11
Babar Azam lbw b Udana 1
Shoaib Malik c Samarawickrama b Perera 9
Mohammad Hafeez c Perera b Pathirana 14
*†Sarfraz Ahmed run out 28
Imad Wasim lbw b Perera 2
Faheem Ashraf c Gunathilaka b Sanjaya 4
Shadab Khan not out 16
Hasan Ali not out 3
Extras (lb5, w5) 10
Total (8 wkts; 19.5 overs) 125
Did not bat: Usman Shinwari
Fall: 1-30, 2-31, 3-50, 4-55, 5-94, 6-100, 7-104, 8-113
Bowling: Sanjaya 3.5-0-32-1 (1w); Munaweera 2-0-17-0 (1w); Udana 4-0-17-1; Pathirana 4-0-18-1 (2w); Perera 4-0-24-3 (1w); Shanaka 2-0-12-0
Result: Pakistan won by two wickets
Series result: Pakistan led the 3-match series 2-0
Man of the match: Shadab Khan (Pakistan)
Umpires: Shozab Raza (PAK) and Ahmed Shahab (PAK). TV umpire: Ahsan Raza (PAK). Match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)