World Cup 2023, Match 8 | Pakistan Predicted XI vs Sri Lanka

image-lnj60jryPakistan will be playing against Sri Lanka in the 8th Match of the World Cup 2023 (Source: AP Photos)

The 2023 World Cup is on song and the eighth match will see Pakistan lock horns against Sri Lanka in the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad. This will be the second clash of a double-header Tuesday and the game is set to begin at 2:00 PM IST. 

In a space of 26 days, both sides meet each other once again. The stage was different last time. It was a must-win encounter for Pakistan whose hopes went sinking after Charith Asalanka steered the Lankan Lions to the road of victory in a humdinger. Although the stakes are not as high for the upcoming clash as it was the last time, Babar Azam's army will be eyeing an act of revenge against the Dasun Shanaka-led unit.

For More Such Reads from OneCricket, Click Here.

Sri Lanka suffered a drubbing by South Africa in their tournament opener where the Proteas recorded the highest-ever total in World Cup history. The mammoth total of 428 runs was too much to be surpassed for the island nation as they succumbed despite the efforts.

On the other hand, Pakistan initiated their World Cup campaign with a 81 runs triumph over the Netherlands.  Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel set the stage for a winning total and in return the bowlers complemented well enough to dismantle the Dutch side.

Having said that, let us have a quick look at the Pakistan's predicted XI against Sri Lanka for their upcoming clash.


Openers: Imam-ul-Haq and Fakhar Zaman.

Pakistan management backs the left-handed duo of Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq to stare at the top of the order and face the new ball. They have played enough international matches and are around the set-up for almost half a dozen years.

Zaman has been off-coloured in recent times but he's a match-winner in ICC tournaments and has done it several times in the last. His partner, Imam is one of the top best batters in the country and was scoring a healthy amount of runs during the recent bilateral series against Afghanistan before the Asia Cup 2023. The scores read 91 and 61 on consecutive matches. He also notched up another fifty in the Asia Cup and cemented his position for the upcoming games as an opener.


Middle-Order: Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Said Shakeel

The skipper and deputy are the heart and soul of this country's cricketing culture. Babar Azam may have seen a slight dip in his form but it does not take long for a big statured player like him to rise to the occasion.

The Pakistan middle order further strengthened due to the addition of Mohammaed Rizwan and Saud Shakeel. They're like the wall for the side. In their recent game against the Netherlands, the Asian side was on a spot of bother after the scorecard reflected 38/3. It was the tag team of Rizwan and Shakeel that revived the Pakistani side with a 120 runs stand. Each of the batters scored 68 runs and laid the foundation for an above par total.


All-rounders: Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan and Muhammad Nawaz

Iftikhar Ahmed plays the role of a finisher in this side. He has been in good touch from the last year and also piled up a century against Nepal in the start of the Asia Cup 2023. The veteran can be handy with some part-time spin as well and often he has been brought into the attack ahead of full-timers- Shadab Khan and Muhammad Nawaz.

Coming to Shadab and Nawaz, they're the prime all-rounders of this side. Nawaz found his form with the bat during the preparatory assignment against Australia where he scored a fifty. Shadab is getting better and used to the Indian conditions. He carries plenty of potential and is an experienced personnel who will play a key role in the lower-middle order.


Bowlers: Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Hasan Ali

In the absence of Naseem Shah, the Pakistan think-tank are going to continue with Hasan Ali. Despite the sudden dip in his pace, the ability to hit the right areas is something that he offers. He must be seen with the new ball alongside the breathtaking Shaheen Afridi. The left-arm pacer has been sensational with the ball in hand since his return post injury.

Haris Rauf is yet another exciting bowler to watch out for and can rush the batters with sheer pace. He has the ability to strike wickets when the pitch does very less. One of those instances were seen during their latest game against Netherlands where he induced breakthroughs at the need of hour.


Pakistan Predicted XI against Sri Lanka

Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul Haq, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan(wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali, and Haris Rauf.