Preview: Pakistan will showcase their security capabilities to the cricketing world for the third time in eight months on Sunday when they hosts Sri Lanka in a Twenty20 International at Lahore’s heavily guarded Gaddafi Stadium. The Pakistan Super League final in March — also in Lahore — featured several overseas players. It was the first small step toward winning back the confidence of foreign teams and reviving international cricket at home after an attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in 2009 during a test match at the same stadium in Lahore. [caption id=“attachment_4178541” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]
File image of Sarfraz Ahmed and Thisara Perera. AFP[/caption] The Pakistan Cricket Board, in collaboration with the ICC, last month organized a three-match T20 international series against a World XI, led by South Africa’s Faf du Plessis, at Gaddafi Stadium. And now Sri Lanka will round off a T20 series which Pakistan already lead 2-0 after winning in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Pakistan have only hosted Zimbabwe for a short limited-overs series two years ago since the 2009 attack. Since then UAE has become Pakistan’s “home” venue away from home as the PCB gradually tries to convince foreign teams that it’s safe to play international cricket in Pakistan. Several thousand security officials will be on duty Sunday with armed military personnel around the stadium and on the route of team buses to the stadium. Hundreds of security cameras have also been installed to keep a close watch on the movement of spectators. Asanka Gurusinha and Hashan Tillakaratne — two of Sri Lanka’s survivors in the 2009 attack that killed eight people — will be coming to Lahore again as team manager and batting coach respectively. But several Sri Lanka players won’t be there. Regular captain Upul Tharanga, Lasith Malinga, Niroshan Dickwella, Suranga Lakmal and Akila Dananjaya all pulled out. Cricket-starved fans have bought tickets in large numbers to witness Sunday’s match despite the series already being won by Pakistan.
Highlights, Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, 3rd T20I at Lahore, Cricket result: Hosts complete 3-0 whitewash with 36-run victory
Catch all the live score and updates from the third T20 international between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Lahore.
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That was as clinical as it gets from Pakistan and they have been utterfly dominant through the limited overs series. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, are on a poor streak of form and haven’t won a limited-overs fixture since Champions Trophy.
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Good night.
Shoaib Malik is also the Man of the Series.
Malik: Playing in front of the home crowd and winning the Man of the Match award is a dream come true for me.
Shoaib Malik is the Man of the Match for his blistering 51 off 24 balls.
Shoaib Malik is the Man of the Match for his blistering 51 off 24 balls.
Shoaib Malik is the Man of the Match for his blistering 51 off 24 balls.
That was another comprehensive performance from Pakistan. Handshakes all around as the hosts celebrate a 8-0 limited overs clean sweep over Sri Lanka.
The visitors never really looked comfortable in the chase. Only Dasun Shanaka provided some hope with a promising half-century but with his dismissal, it was all over for the Lankans. Mohammad Amir made a successful comeback with excellent figures of 4-0-13-4.
There’s cheers and smiles all around the Pakistan camp and the crowd in Lahore is ecstatic.
Now, Prasanna falls too as he looks to make room and swing his arms. Only, it takes the outside edge and Sarfraz Ahmed accepts the catch gleefully.
Amir has his fourth. Can he get a fifer?
After 19 overs,Sri Lanka 142/7 ( Seekkuge Prasanna 16 , Sachith Pathirana 14)
Best over of Sri Lanka’s innings but it came a bit too late. 19 runs off Hasan Ali’s final over. He finishes with figures of 4-0-39-1. A tad expensive tonight.
After 18 overs,Sri Lanka 123/7 ( Seekkuge Prasanna 3 , Sachith Pathirana 8)
Fahim Ashraf, who has been mighty impressive today, comes back to bowl the 18th over. He concedes nine runs, including a boudnary.
After 16 overs,Sri Lanka 107/6 ( Thisara Perera (C) 4 , Seekkuge Prasanna 1)
Brilliant over from Amir. Just three runs off it. Sri Lanka require 74 runs from 24 balls.
Fan from Abu Dhabi tells Firstpost comparing experience of watching match in UAE versus Pakistan
Chaturanga makes room to drive it past covers and loses his stumps. Mohammad Amir on target.
Sri Lanka 106/6 (15.4 overs)
Seekkuge Prasanna comes to the crease
After 15 overs,Sri Lanka 104/5 ( Chaturanga de Silva 20 , Thisara Perera (C) 3)
Mohammad Hafeez is back into the attack. Sri Lanka can only milk five singles off it.
After 14 overs,Sri Lanka 99/5 ( Chaturanga de Silva 17 , Thisara Perera (C) 1)
Fahim Ashraf comes back and picks up the big fish. Sri Lanka lose half their side. Is this it for the Islanders?
Shanaka goes! He tries to smack it out of the park but the ball hits the outside half of the bat and Imad Wasim takes the catch. He goes for 54.
Sri Lankan skipper Thisara Perera is the new batsman
Shahryar, a fan at the Gaddafi Stadium, praises the security arrangements in a chat with Firstpost
After 12 overs,Sri Lanka 90/4 ( Dasun Shanaka 51 , Chaturanga de Silva 12)
Shabab Khan comes back into the attack and Shanaka takes two fours and a six off of him. He needs to keep this up if Sri Lanka must overcome Pakistan’s target.
After 11 overs,Sri Lanka 73/4 ( Dasun Shanaka 36 , Chaturanga de Silva 10)
Hasan Ali comes into the attack. Shanaka and de Silva can only manage to milk six singles (plus one wide).
After 10 overs,Sri Lanka 66/4 ( Dasun Shanaka 33 , Chaturanga de Silva 7)
Imad Wasim comes back and will finish his quota and concedes seven runs. A decent spell from him. 4-0-30-1
After 9 overs,Sri Lanka 59/4 ( Dasun Shanaka 31 , Chaturanga de Silva 2)
Fahim Ashraf is bowling with some good pace and dismisses Udawatte. Another economical over the young righ-armer.
Faheem Ashraf hurries Udawatte on the pull shot and he miscues it straight to Babar Azam at mid-wicket. He’s out for 11 off 13.
Chaturanga de Silva comes to the crease
After 8 overs,Sri Lanka 55/3 ( Mahela Udawatte 10 , Dasun Shanaka 30)
Shadab Khan to bowl his leg-breaks. Shanaka takes him downtown for a couple of sixes. He has looked nice and positive against the spinners. Excellent over for Sri Lanka. They need to keep this up.
After 7 overs,Sri Lanka 41/3 ( Mahela Udawatte 9 , Dasun Shanaka 17)
Fahim Ashraf is introduced into the attack. He keeps it nice and tidy and concedes just two singles in his first over.
After 6 overs, Sri Lanka 38/3 ( Mahela Udawatte 8 , Dasun Shanaka 15)
Just 38 off the powerplay. Poor start from Sri Lanka. Pakistan are right on top of this at the moment.
After 5 overs,Sri Lanka 32/3 ( Mahela Udawatte 7 , Dasun Shanaka 10)
Better over for Sri Lanka. Two boundaries and a couple of singles off it.
After 4 overs,Sri Lanka 22/3 ( Mahela Udawatte 6 , Dasun Shanaka 1)
Mohammad Hafeez into the attack and strikes in his third ball. Sri Lanka have lost their top order within the first four overs.
That’s a soft dismissal. Gunathilaka tries to hit the ball a bit too hard and ends up miscuing it offering a return catch to Mohammad Hafeez. He goes for 9.
Dasun Shanaka is the new batsman