Pak vs Afg: Changes in Pakistan lineup likely for third ODI

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) team management is expected to announce at least three changes in the playing XI for the third and final match of the one-day international (ODI) series against Afghanistan, according to sources.

The sources added that the tour selection committee decided to make changes after winning the series. Pakistan won the series against Afghanistan 2-0 on Thursday and are set to play the final match today in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Saud Shakeel, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz and Wasim Junior may be given a chance in today's match, the sources added.

It has also been proposed that Iftikhar Ahmed, Osama Mir, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf be rested, they said.

The sources said that the team management also considered making four changes to the playing eleven. However, the final decision about the playing XI will be made before the toss later today.

It is pertinent to note that Pakistan's victory today will have an additional perk for the country.

Its exciting one-wicket victory over Afghanistan in Hambantota on Thursday improved Pakistan's ODI team rating.

Right now, the Green Shirts are just short of first-placed Australia.

"The Asian side could claim the premier position as the No.1 ranked one-day side as early as Saturday with a victory over Afghanistan in the third and final match of their series," a statement from the ICC read. 

Squads

Pakistan: Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (captain), Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Tayyab Tahir, Saud Shakeel (only for Afghanistan series), Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Haris, Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi.

Afghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rehman, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Abdul Rahman, Mohammad Saleem Safi and Wafadar Momand.