Hapless Sri Lanka look for consolation win against Pakistan

KARACHI: Following back-to-back wins, Pakistan women cricket team will be eyeing the third victory on the trot and complete a clean sweep of the series when they meet Sri Lanka in their third and last game of the ODI series here at the Southend Club Cricket Stadium on Sunday (today).

As the series is also part of the ICC Women Championship 2022-2025 cycle, another win will add two more points to Pakistan’s tally. Pakistan currently have four points from two wins over Sri Lanka who have been struggling throughout the series.

On the other hand, it will be another test for Chamari Athapaththu’s Sri Lanka as they were never seen prevailing over Pakistan at any stage of the series, which also contained three T20Is, won by the hosts 3-0.

Having a strong bowling attack with multiple effective spin options, Bismah Maroof-side will be looking to repeat their last match batting performance. Powered by Sidra Amin’s fantastic 123 and Muneeba Ali’s sedate 56, Pakistan had put on 253-2 in the allotted 50 overs after opting to bat first in the second ODI on Friday. Fatima Sana, the young pacer, then got 4-26 in her quota of ten overs to restrict Sri Lanka to 180-9.

Sri Lanka, although, have a good bowling combination, will have to bat with a solid plan in order to put a big total on the board in case of batting first. If they are going to chase then they will have to achieve the target with a sort of maturity which is needed for a team playing at this stage.

Chamari had said after the second match that her unit would try to do well in the final game. "There is one game left now and we will try to do well in that," she had said.

Sri Lanka also will have to improve their fielding if they are to win the game against Pakistan which have ably exploited home conditions so far.

Pakistan’s skipper Bismah Maroof said they would try to win the series and so to get two more points.

"Definitely we will go for a win and for the two more points," Bismah said after the second game which Pakistan won by 73 runs on Friday.

Pakistan squad:

Bismah Maroof (captain), Aiman Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Anam Amin, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Ghulam Fatima, Gull Feroza, Muneeba Ali Siddiqui (wicketkeeper), Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin and Sidra Nawaz (wicket-keeper).

Sri Lanka squad:

Chamari Athapaththu (captain), Achini Kulasuriya, Ama Kanchana, Anushka Sanjeewani, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Hansima Karunaratne, Hasini Perera, Inoka Ranaweera, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshi de Silva, Oshadhi Ranasinghe, Prasadani Weerakkody, Sachini Nisansala, and Sugandika Kumari.