Pallekele, February 27 Pakistan will need a decisive win over already-eliminated Sri Lanka and some help from England to keep their hopes alive for a semifinal spot in the T20 World Cup when they play their final Super 8 match here on Saturday.
Co-hosts Sri Lanka have already been eliminated from the semifinal race after Super 8 defeats to England and New Zealand, while England have secured their place in the last four.
Pakistan, currently in third place in the standings, are locked in a battle with New Zealand for the second and final spot, but the Kiwis are in a much stronger position than Agha's side.
With three points and a vastly superior net run rate of 3.050, New Zealand are in a commanding position compared to Pakistan's solitary point from two matches and a negative net run rate of -0.461.
However, all hope is not lost for Pakistan, who can still qualify if England defeat New Zealand by a significant margin on Friday and Agha's team also wins convincingly against Sri Lanka.
However, it would be a tall order for Pakistan's batsmen and bowlers to perform consistently, given their largely lackluster performance in the tournament.
Sahibzada Farhan stands out with 283 runs at a strike rate of 158.10, including one century and two fifties.
However, no other specialist batter in the Pakistan camp has crossed three figures in this T20 World Cup. All-rounder Shadab Khan, whose performance has sparked debate among prominent former cricketers, has the second-best tally with 111 runs.
While captain Agha (44 runs), Saim Ayub (70), and star batter Babar Azam (91) have been inconsistent, Pakistan will be pinning their hopes on the dangerous Fakhar Zaman to deliver.
Usman Tariq's 10 wickets have offered Pakistan some hope in the bowling department, along with Shaheen Shah Afridi showing signs of form against England, although he couldn't turn the game around on his own.
For Sri Lanka, it will be crucial to give their passionate fans a win in their final appearance in the tournament. The last time Sri Lanka were co-hosts, they finished as runners-up in 2011.
Dasun Shanaka's side began impressively and almost secured a place among the title favorites when they defeated Australia in the group stage. However, since that win, Sri Lanka have lost three consecutive matches against Zimbabwe, England, and New Zealand, leading to their elimination.
Pathum Nissanka's inspired century against Australia now feels like a distant memory, as Sri Lanka have been struggling not only due to a string of defeats but also due to underwhelming cricket overall.
With a batting order lacking depth and consistency, Sri Lanka have consistently lost early wickets and have failed to perform under pressure. In bowling, they have also failed to put significant pressure on the opposition batsmen.
They allowed New Zealand to claw back in the final five overs of a contest that they had firmly controlled, before inexplicably crawling to 20 for 2 in the powerplay while batting at home, surrendering both momentum and the match as sections of the local crowd cheered for New Zealand.
Teams:
Sri Lanka: Dasun Shanaka (c), Kusal Mendis (wk), Kamil Mishara, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera (wk), Pavan Rathnayake, Charith Asalanka, Dushan Hemantha, Janith Liyanage, Kamindu Mendis, Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madushanka, Pramod Madushan, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage.
Pakistan: Salman Ali Agha (c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay (wk), Sahibzada Farhan, Usman Khan (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Naseem Shah, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Tariq.
Match starts at 7:00 PM IST.
