Pakistan to face Sri Lanka in second T20 today

ABU DHABI (92 News) – The second T-20 of three-match series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka will be played at Abu Dhabi on Friday (today). The match will start at 9:00 pm Pakistan Standard Time. Pakistan blanked Sri Lanka 5-0 in the preceding one-day series and start the Twenty20 fixtures as strong favorites as the number two-ranked side, with Sri Lanka a lowly eighth. If Pakistan sweep the T20 series they will come within a point of first-place New Zealand and could go top if India beat the Black Caps in a three-match series next month. Aside from winning nine straight ODIs since lifting the Champions Trophy in June, Pakistan have also won nine of their last 11 Twenty20 internationals – all since Sarfraz Ahmed took over as captain. Off the field too, Pakistan will hope to build on their efforts to revive international cricket back home with the last match to be played in Lahore on Sunday. That contest will see the return of Sri Lanka to Pakistan, eight years after their team bus was ambushed by gunmen on the way to the ground in Lahore on March 3, 2009.   Squads: Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (capt), Fakhar Zaman, Ahmed Shehzad, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Aamer Yamin, Mohammad Amir, Usman Shinwari, Umar Amin Sri Lanka: Thisara Perera (capt), Dilshan Munaweera, Danushka Gunathilaka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Ashan Priyanjan, Mahela Udawatte, Dasun Shanaka, Minod Bhanuka, Sachith Pathirana, Vikum Sanjaya, Lahiru Gamage, Seekkuge Prasanna, Vishwa Fernando, Isuru Udana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Chaturanga de Silva