In the last two days or so, Pakistan have received a stern reality check regarding their current standing in the world of T20 Cricket. Since the World T20 of 2016, Pakistan traversed over an almost ideal route in the format: winning 29 games of the 33 they contested. But that was until 2019 happened. In this calendar year, the Greenshirts have stringed together a single T20 victory and their dominance in the format’s rankings is now being severely questioned.
Two of the six defeats in this year have been inflicted by a second-string, inexperienced Sri Lankan side and that too, in the Greenshirts’ very backyard. Although, Pakistan deserve to be cut some slack, there are a plethora of questions looming over Sarfraz’s captaincy, the team’s strategical systems and the selections made for the national squads.
Poor Cricket from the home side or not, the fact of the matter is that Sri Lanka have been way above par and have totally outgunned the 1st ranked T20 side away from home. Sri Lanka, without its 10 premier players and without the guile and skill of the veteran, Lasith Malinga, have managed to pull off a remarkable feat and will be itching to pour salt on Pakistani wounds and seal a historic series whitewash.
Along the way, the Islanders have unearthed new heroes in players like Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Wanindu Hasaranga. The former was involved in constructing crucial partnerships during the middle phases of both the games with a hint of over-aggression. Hasaranga, on the other hand, was responsible for turning the game on its head on Monday when he deceived three Pakistani players with his wrong-uns in one over.
Dasun Shanaka, the stand-in skipper for Sri Lanka has played good knocks befitting the situation, finding late boundaries when Sri Lanka are looking to finish briskly. Sri Lanka have secured their first ever series win against Pakistan but they are yet to win a series three to nil. Here they have been handed a perfect opportunity to make the most out of it. They are not expected to tinker a whole lot with the winning combination.
Sri Lanka’s Likely Playing XI: 1 Danushka Gunathilaka, 2 Avishka Fernando, 3 Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 4 Shehan Jayasuriya, 5 Minod Bhanuka (wk), 6 Dasun Shanaka (capt), 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Isuru Udana, 9 Lakshan Sandakan, 10 Kasun Rajitha, 11 Nuwan Pradeep
Pakistan’s biggest headache has been their misfiring top and middle orders. A couple of Babar Azam failures have proven to be an Achilles heel which exert further pressure on a middle order that hasn’t had much exposure lately. The two games have followed a similar script in the manner in which Pakistan have collapsed while chasing totals. Two players who are on the receiving end of most of the critics are Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal. Whereas, Akmal has been dismissed on first-ball ducks in both the matches, Shehzad has not been able to get things going as his dismal strike rate shows.
Do they respond to the criticism and drop Umar Akmal and Ahmed Shehzad? Sarfraz exclaimed after the first game that the duo has his complete backing but after yet another backlash in the 2nd T20I, he might decide to mend his ways. Haris Sohail was benched in both the matches despite the fact that he is one of the players in the whole line-up who is in sublime run in the shorter formats.
Pakistan’s bowling woes have begun mounting and, once again, their major bowlers were taken to the cleaners by a side that is lidded with lack of international exposure. Misbah-ul-Haq, Pakistan’s chief selector and head coach, gave statements about how the team is struggling in every department.
"Losing is never good, especially against a team that is without their major players, and it's an eye-opener," said Misbah.
Pakistan’s Likely Playing XI: 1 Fakhar Zaman, 2 Babar Azam, 3 Ahmed Shehzad, 4 Sarfraz Ahmed (capt, wk), 5 Iftikhar Ahmed, 6 Asif Ali, 7 Imad Wasim, 8 Shadab Khan, 9 Wahab Riaz, 10 Mohammad Amir, 11 Mohammad Hasnain
