Picking the combined Pakistan-Sri Lanka 11 ahead of their 2023 World Cup clash ft. Babar Azam, Kusal Mendis
It was a contrasting start to their World Cup campaigns for the Babar Azam-led Pakistan and the 1996 champions Sri Lanka. While Pakistan earned a hard-fought victory against the Netherlands, Sri Lanka were crushed in their tournament opener against the Proteas.
Pakistan looked a bit scratchy against the lowly-ranked Netherlands and had to huff and puff to a defendable score in the end. Even with the ball, they were far from their best. However, a win will certainly bolster their confidence going forward.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan bowlers received a thrashing at the hands of South Africa. They ended up conceding the highest-ever score in a World Cup game.
Despite South Africa posting a mammoth score of 428, Sri Lanka came out all guns blazing and tried to give a good account of themselves. Kusal Mendis smashed eight sixes during the powerplay but eventually, Sri Lanka fell well short by 102 runs.
It will be an important game for the two Asian giants. Pakistan will be mindful of the fact that it was the Lankans who knocked them out of the Asia Cup.
Ahead of the clash, let's take a look at the strongest possible combined XI from Pakistan and Sri Lanka:
Openers- Pathum Nissanka and Imam ul Haq
This could be a deadly combination for any team. Pathum Nissanka is a classical young batter who can take charge when needed and can also play second fiddle just as well.
He started the World Cup campaign with a duck but Sri Lanka will have big hopes from the youngster. Imam Ul Haq is already an established name in the Pakistan team. There was a temptation to include Fakhar Zaman but Imam's all-round record is just too good to ignore.
An average of over 50 in ODI cricket has always been held in high esteem. There have been questions raised about his strike rate but given his ability to bat long, he is an obvious choice for the combined XI.
Middle order- Babar Azam, Kusal Mendis, Mohammad Rizwan, Charith Asalanka, Iftikhar Ahmed
The No. 1 ranked ODI batter Babar Azam will walk into any playing XI, let alone a Pakistan-Sri Lanka combined XI. He is a class act and has been a prolific run-scorer for Pakistan. Babar will look to get into his groove against Sri Lanka.
Kusal Mendis is a stupendous striker of the ball and showed his stroke-making abilities against South Africa. A superb knock in the warm-up game was also a testament to his skill set.
Rizwan is the second most important batter for Pakistan after Babar. He has established himself in the Pakistan white ball set-up and has been in scintillating form coming into the World Cup. He had a good outing against the Netherlands as well.
Charith Asalanka has developed a habit of finishing games for Sri Lanka. He played a blinder against Pakistan in the virtual semi-final against Pakistan in the Asia Cup. He scored a brilliant 79 against South Africa and will be high on confidence ahead of this clash.
Iftikhar Ahmed has become a genuine all-rounder for Pakistan and on pitches assisting spinners, he is a more than a handy option. He is a powerful striker of the ball and has become Pakistan's reliable finisher.
Bowlers- Maheesh Theeskhana, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Matheesha Pathirana
Theekshana is expected to return to the Sri Lanka XI for the Pakistan clash. He missed the first game of the World Cup owing to an injury that he sustained during Sri Lanka's Super 4 game against Pakistan in the Asia Cup. He is a master of his trade and on his day, he can run through any batting line-up.
Shaheen Shah Afridi is one of the best new ball bowlers going around and his ability to consistently trouble top-class batters puts him in the elite tier of fast bowlers. He can also handle the old ball and if he can bowl full throttle, he could be a decisive factor in this game.
Haris Rauf is one of the fastest bowlers in the world. He is a hit-the-deck type of bowler and can generate steep bounce even from unresponsive pitches. Rauf mixes it up towards the end and his drop in pace for slower deliveries can be difficult for any batter to pick.
Matheesha Pathirana might have gone for plenty in the game against South Africa but he is a special talent nurtured by MS Dhoni. His lack of experience was evident against the Proteas but he is still young and has a long way to go.