In the upcoming clash of the 2023 Asia Cup, Pakistan is set to facedefending champions Sri Lanka, marking their final Super 4 match. Thefixture is scheduled to take place on Thursday in Colombo. Following adisheartening 228-run loss to India, Pakistan is poised to make somestrategic changes in their playing XI. This shift is primarily driven bythe injury concerns plaguing their frontline pacers, including Naseem Shahand Haris Rauf.
In response to these setbacks, Pakistan is contemplating introducing theleft-handed batsman Saud Shakeel in place of Agha Salman. Although SaudShakeel has limited experience in One Day Internationals, with just sixmatches to his name and 76 runs scored at a strike rate of 71.02, he haspreviously displayed his prowess in the Test format, including a remarkabledouble-century against Sri Lanka.
On the flip side, Agha Salman has been grappling with poor performancesthroughout the Asia Cup, and his recent facial injury sustained againstIndia further complicates his chances of participating in the forthcominggame. In light of the spin-friendly pitch conditions observed in Colomboduring the India-Sri Lanka match, it is probable that Usama Mir will beselected over Faheem Ashraf, although this decision remains tentative dueto the variable weather conditions.
Given the persistent injury concerns of Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf,Pakistan is leaning toward replacing them with Zaman Khan and MohammadWasim Jr. However, it’s important to note that the availability of bothHaris and Naseem for Pakistan’s last Super 4 match and potentialparticipation in the final, if Pakistan qualifies, remains uncertain.
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With both Pakistan and Sri Lanka tied at 2 points after two Super 4matches, their upcoming encounter effectively serves as a virtualsemi-final, with the victor earning the right to face India in the final.In the event of a rain-induced washout in the Sri Lanka vs. Pakistan match,Sri Lanka would secure their place in the final, given their superior netrun rate (-0.200) compared to Pakistan’s (-1.892). The stakes areundeniably high as these teams vie for a coveted spot in the Asia Cup final
