Pakistan Vs Sri Lanka Asia Cup 2023 Super 4 Predicted Playing 11: Zaman Khan To Make Debut, SL Stick To Same Team

Babar Azam's Pakistan have announced 5 changes to their team due to injuries and loss of form for their Asia Cup 2023 Super 4 match against Sri Lanka on Thursday.

Pakistan captain Babar Azam. (Photo: AP)

In a ‘do-or-die’ Asia Cup 2023 Super 4 contest, co-hosts Pakistan and Sri Lanka are facing off against each other at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Thursday. Babar Azam’s Pakistan, who started off the tournament brilliantly with wins over Nepal and Bangladesh, have stumbled sensational after losing by 228 runs to India on Monday.

The massive loss has dented Pakistan’s net run-rate so much that if their match against Sri Lanka is washed out on Thursday due to rain, Dasun Shanaka’s side will progress to the final to face Team India. Pakistan will head into this ‘must-win’ contest without the services of two out of three first-choice pacers – Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf ruled out due to injury.

Zaman Khan, who has joined the Pakistan squad on Wednesday in Sri Lanka, will be making his ODI debut while Mohammad Wasim Jr will also come into the side. Apart from these two changes, Pakistan have decided to drop out-of-form opener Fakhar Zaman and replace him with Mohammad Haris. All-rounder Salman Ali Agha is yet to recover from a blow he took in the match against India and will be replaced by Saud Shakeel while left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz comes back into the side to replace pace-bowling all-rounder Faheem Ashraf.

Pakistan have made a total of five chances to their playing 11 since their loss to Team India. It will be almost a new-look side which takes on Sri Lanka with an eye on the final berth.

The equation for both teams is simple – win the match on Thursday and qualify for Sunday’s final. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, are likely to stick with the same team which defeated Bangladesh last week and also gave Team India a run for their money before losing by 41 runs.

Their three spinners – Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage and Charith Asalanka – will trouble the Pakistan batters on a wearing R. Premadasa Stadium track.

Zaman Khan is all set to make his ODI debut tomorrow _#PAKvSL | #AsiaCup2023 pic.twitter.com/c2LzkYyVxm — Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) September 13, 2023

Pakistan Vs Sri Lanka Asia Cup 2023 Super 4 Predicted Playing 11

Pakistan: Mohammad Haris, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Zaman Khan

Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanka (c), Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha, Matheesha Pathirana