Pakistan v Sri Lanka: In-form batsmen give Pakistan the edge

Twenty20 / Andrew Hughes / 24 November 2011 /

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Misbah is underrated in Twenty20

"Without Jayawardene, Sri Lanka’s batting looks rather thin and will depend entirely on Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara."

Sri Lanka have been second best throughout their desert tour and Andrew Hughes doesn't see that changing in Friday's one-off Twenty20.

November 25, Pakistan v Sri Lanka, Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, 15:55 GMT, (Live on Eurosport2 UK)

Team News
Pakistan are without Abdul Razzaq who has a shoulder injury and Junaid Khan with an abdominal tear. Abdur Rehman is likely to come into the side at seven, with Shoaib Malik missing out and it is a choice between Imran Farhat and Asad Shafiq for the second opener's spot. Umar Akmal will take the gloves

Mahela Jayawardene's injury is a huge blow to Sri Lanka. Chamara Silva has been drafted in as cover, but given that Jayawardene has been opening in Twenty20 cricket, it is hard to see the slow-scoring Silva given that role and Upul Tharanga is the man most likely to open with captain Tillakaratne Dilshan.

Venue and Conditions
There have been four Twenty20 matches at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium. No-one has yet hit a half-century and the average first innings score is a paltry 125, suggesting batting there is pretty tough. The pitches used at the venue during this tour so far have been slow, becoming slower in the later overs and, unusually for that part of the world, there has been a hint of swing around. Both of the day-night games there were won by the team batting second but we probably shouldn't read too much into such a small sample. The forecast is for clear weather, but at this time of year, we can expect a little dew.

Match Odds
It is hard to tell whether Sri Lanka's post-Murali dip in form is a temporary downturn or a longer term decline. They are rebuilding but the jury is still out on some of the players they've bought in and more significantly, there are doubts about Dilshan's captaincy. They've won five of their last six Twenty20 matches, but it's hard to see them maintaining that record, given their current malaise.

In Lasith Malinga, Ajantha Mendis and Angelo Mathews they have some of the best Twenty20 bowlers around and their team is packed with all-rounders, giving Dilshan plenty of options with the ball. But Pakistan have just as much bowling firepower with Umar Gul, Sohail Tanvir and the spin of Saeed Ajmal and Shahid Afridi and, crucially, they have the edge with the bat.

Without Jayawardene, Sri Lanka's batting looks rather thin and will depend entirely on Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara. Whilst Pakistan can be equally fragile, they have more batsmen in form than their opponents and the return of the explosive Shahid Afridi adds an extra dimension to their lower order. Expect Pakistan to record their fourth Twenty20 victory over Sri Lanka at [1.81]

Top Pakistan batsman
Pakistan can spring selection surprises so we should concentrate on the certainties. Afridi and Umar Akmal are guaranteed to play but in Twenty20 it pays to concentrate on the top four and the one to be one is captain Misbah ul Haq. He isn't a fashionable choice, but in fact he has a higher Twenty20 average than anyone else in the squad and can be backed at around [7.0]

Top Sri Lankan batsman
Sri Lanka's batting order is fluid at the moment and the likes of Dinesh Chandimal are not reliable betting propositions so we have to turn to the old hands. With Sangakkara possibly batting as low down as five, captain Dilshan is the choice at [4.5] or better.

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