Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, Today Match Prediction 07 Jun 2019

pak vs srl Match Prediction & Analysis

Pakistan will be eager to continue the momentum forward when they will face Sri Lanka in the 11th match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 at County Ground in Bristol on Friday.

Sarfaraz-led unit will be high on confidence after registering an impressive 14-run win against formidable England in their last match on Monday, courtesy Shadab Khans’ brilliant spell and Mohammad Hafeez’s stunning 84. The side will be keen to continue their good form with the bat and ball against Sri Lanka.

For Sri Lanka, the match against Pakistan is an opportunity to strengthen their position in the points table. The team will be flying high after a 34-run win against Afghanistan in the previous game. 

TEAMS PREVIEW

Pakistan Preview

Sarfaraz Ahmed and co. delivered a breathtaking performance to beat England in the previous game played at Trent Bridge. The side will need to guard against complacency and make sure that they are well-prepared for Sri Lanka in this game.

In the batting department, the team will be depending heavily on the likes of Mohammad Hafeez and Babar Azam, both of whom has already scored 100 and 85 runs at averages of 50.00 and 42.50 respectively. Azam has been in good form and also produced a crucial half-century in the game played against England.

The opening pair of Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq will be looking to get Pakistan off to a decent start. Imam scored 44 off 58 balls with the help of three fours and a six. Zaman also chipped in with 36 off 40 balls with the help of six boundaries in the game played against England.

The likes of Sarfaraz Ahmed, Fakhar Zaman, and Imam-ul-Haq have contributed with crucial scores for the side in the previous game played against England. Sarfaraz certainly produced a splendid half-century and scored 55 off 44 balls with the help of five boundaries.

Pace bowler Mohammad Amir will have to lead from the front and pick up wickets with the ball in hand. He has shown good form in this year’s competition and certainly was the pick of the bowlers in the previous game played against England

In the bowling department, the onus will be once again on pacers Wahab Riaz and Hasan Ali to deliver the goods upfront, whereas leg-spinner Shadab Khan will be expected to provide breakthroughs in the middle of the innings. Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez also bowled well and picked up two wickets between them

Pakistan Predicted Playing XI:

Fakhar Zaman, Sarfaraz Ahmed (captain &wk), Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Imam-ul-Haq, Asif Ali, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali, Shadab Khan.

Sri Lanka Preview

Dimuth Karunaratne will be relieved after managing to beat Afghanistan in a rain-curtailed game played in Cardiff on Tuesday. Kusal Perera and Nuwan Pradeep delivered crucial performances to help Sri Lanka register their first win of the 2019 Cricket World Cup

In the batting department, the focus will be on the likes of Captain Dimuth Karunaratne (82 runs at an average of 82.00) and wicket-keeper batsman Kusal Perera (107 runs at an average of 53.50) to produce the bulk of the runs.

Perera was the standout performer for Sri Lanka in the game played against Afghanistan. He scored 78 off 81 balls with the help of eight boundaries. He added 82 runs with Karunaratne for the opening wicket to see Sri Lanka get off to a flying start.

However, the real cause of concern for Sri Lanka in the match will be their batting lineup that has failed to produce runs in the middle phase of the innings. Kusal Mendis, Angelo Matthews, and Dhananjaya de Silva perished in quick succession to see Sri Lanka in a spot of bother.

The arrival of pace bowler Nuwan Pradeep was a big positive for the team in the match against Afghanistan, as he picked up four wickets and just gave away 31 runs in his nine overs. Veteran pacer Lasith Malinga also picked up three wickets in the previous game. Isuru Udana and Thisara Perera also picked up crucial wickets for the side against Afghanistan. Considering the traditional pitch at Country Ground in Bristol, the side might bring in a leg-spinner for this game.

Sri Lanka Predicted Playing XI:

Dimuth Karunaratne (captain), Lahiru Thiramanne, Kusal Perera (wk), Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Thisara Perera, Isuru Udana, Jeevan Mendis/ Nuwan Pradeep, Suranga Lakmal, Lasith Malinga

Weather Conditions

The wicket prepared for the game will be excellent for batting. The spinners will certainly play a big role in this game. The weather forecast for the game on Friday is expected to see heavy showers throughout the day.

Venue

The County Ground in Bristol is going to host the game between Australia and Afghanistan. Pakistan will be fully aware of the conditions at the venue as they recently played a game against England. Sri Lanka will need to make adjustments according to the conditions.

Toss: To Bat

The side that wins the toss would be looking to bat first and put runs on the board. Batting First has been the way to go in this World Cup due to the conditions.