Shaheen Shah Afridi-led Pakistan will take on Kusal Mendis-led Sri Lanka in the final of the ODI tri-series at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Saturday, 31 October.
The toss will take place at 12.30pm PKT, while the first ball is scheduled to be bowled at 1pm.
The ongoing ODI tri-series is the fourth such tournament to be held on Pakistan soil, following the editions featuring Australia and South Africa in 1994, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe in 2004 and New Zealand and South Africa in 2025.
Pakistan, who became the first side to qualify for the final of the ongoing tri-series after registering two wins against England and one against Sri Lanka, will be aiming to clinch their maiden ODI tri-series title on home soil.
In the batting charts, Pakistan’s Salman Ali Agha is the leading run-scorer for the hosts with 158 runs from four outings in the tournament, including a century against fellow finalists’ Sri Lanka in the opening match at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
In the bowling department, young Arafat Minhas has bagged nine wickets in four matches, including a six-wicket haul in Pakistan’s 87-run win over England at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. He will be aiming to deliver another match-winning performance if given an opportunity in Saturday’s final.
Captain Shaheen is joint second on the tournament’s leading wicket-takers list alongside Sri Lanka’s Dilshan Madushanka with eight scalps from four matches.
Shaheen Shah Afridi, Pakistan captain talking to PCB Digital ahead of the final said:
“We have performed well as a team, but there are still areas where we need to improve, particularly scoring runs at the top and building partnerships.
“The crowd has always supported us and we hope fans will turn out in large numbers tomorrow to witness an exciting contest.
“We are hopeful of maintaining our team combination and putting up a good performance in the final.”
Pakistan squad for tri-series final:
Shaheen Shah Afridi (c), Abrar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Maaz Sadaqat, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Haris Rauf, Hasan Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Razaullah, Saad Baig (wk), Sahibzada Farhan and Shadab Khan
Kusal Mendis, Sri Lanka captain in an exclusive talk to PCB Digital ahead of the final said:
“The final is a big game for us. Pakistan have played good cricket in their recent matches. We are well prepared and looking forward to the final.
“We played really well against Pakistan in our previous encounter. We have done several things right and are focused on following our processes and sticking to our basic plans.
“Everyone in Sri Lanka is very happy with our performances. Pakistan fans have also shown great support for Sri Lankan players, which is encouraging for us.”
Sri Lanka squad for tri-series final:
Kusal Mendis (c), Sahan Arachchige, Dushmantha Chameera, Sachindu Colombage, Avishka Fernando, Asitha Fernando, Janith Liyanage, Dilshan Madushanka, Eshan Malinga, Kamindu Mendis, Kamil Mishara, Lahiru Udara, Pavan Rathnayake, Dasun Shanaka, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage
