Pakistan likely to replace Fakhar Zaman with Shafique for Sri Lanka clash

Pakistan head coach Grant Bradburn insists his team's top-order batting is not a worry but that confidence may not spare Fakhar Zaman, the only man to have scored an ODI double hundred for his country.

Pakistan's openers have endured a miserable last five matches with just 35 as their highest partnership. There has only been one century stand in the 16 games this year. Left-hander Fakhar managed just 12 runs in a partnership of 15 with Imam-ul-Haq in Pakistan's 81-run win against the Netherlands in Hyderabad on Friday.

Fakhar, who famously smashed 210 not out against Zimbabwe in 2018, has a best of just 33 in his last 11 innings, a desperate run which followed three successive centuries against New Zealand earlier this year.

For Tuesday's game with Sri Lanka, Fakhar is likely to make way for Abdullah Shafique who hit a half-century when the sides last met at the Asia Cup in September. Sri Lanka won that game by two wickets.

Bradburn still hopes the top-order clicks sooner rather than later. "Look, we've got full faith in our top order," said New Zealander Bradburn on Monday. "They will click at some stage and we're open and honest to say that we're not getting what we would like out of the powerplay as yet." Number three and skipper Babar Azam, the world's top-ranked ODI batsman, also failed against the Netherlands with an 18-ball five.

"The top three have scored the majority of our runs in the period before the World Cup," said Bradburn who praised Sri Lanka.

"Sri Lanka are a team that we've become familiar with over recent times and we know they have had the upper hand on us over the last year in white-ball cricket," said Bradburn.

"We respect the skills that Sri Lanka possess and we're really looking forward to taking them on tomorrow." Bradburn also said they would bank on the insider's knowledge provided by team director Mickey Arthur, who coached Sri Lanka between 2019 and 2021.

"We have a secret weapon, if you like, in Mickey Arthur, who has coached them before," Bradburn told reporters. "We had our scouting meetings and video meetings this morning, and Mickey was a very, very handy addition to those meetings to be able to add in some intricate points around their batters and bowlers."

Pakistan began their campaign beating the Netherlands but would face stiffer challenge against 1996 champions Sri Lanka. "Yeah, I know their strengths and weaknesses so we will have plans put in place for all of them," Arthur said.

"They are a dangerous side so we will have to be at our best to beat them." Pakistan appointed Arthur in April this year for a second stint, doubling up on his job with Derbyshire in the English county championship. He vowed to complete the unfinished business of winning a second World Cup to add to Pakistan's 1992 triumph.

"I felt in 2019 we were very, very close," said Arthur despite Pakistan failing to reach the semi-finals. "These young boys have now become men and have another four years' experience. "Look, they're a very close group because they've played together for so long. They know each other backwards. They're not only teammates, but they're generally friends as well."

The pitch at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Hyderabad is known for high scores with New Zealand chasing 346 and Pakistan compiling 337 in a chase of 352 against Australia in the warm-ups.

Agencies