Babar scores century as Pakistan thrash Sri Lanka to clinch ODI series

Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by eight wickets in the second one-day international in Rawalpindi to seal the three-game series 2-0 on Friday amid the backdrop of security concerns and tension in the tourists’ camp following a suicide bombing earlier this week.

Sri Lanka cricketers had requested to return home from their Pakistan tour on Wednesday for safety reasons after a suicide bombing in Islamabad, which is close to Rawalpindi, but their board issued a stern directive to stay put or face consequences.

Pakistan then deployed army and paramilitary forces to protect Sri Lanka’s cricket team, with Pakistan’s Army Chief Asim Munir assuring Sri Lankan Defence Minister Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon of the team’s safety.

Chasing 289 for victory, Pakistan’s Babar Azam led the charge with a patient century — his 20th ODI ton and his first in 84 international innings in more than two years — as the hosts overhauled Sri Lanka’s total with 10 balls to spare.

After being put into bat, Sri Lanka started brightly as the openers put up a 51-run stand before Pathum Nissanka was run out attempting a risky third run.

The top order showed promise but could not capitalise, with Sadeera Samarawickrama (42) falling short of a half-century when he was bowled by Haris Rauf.

But Janith Liyanage (54) and Kamindu Mendis (44) provided the innings’ backbone with a crucial 73-run stand while Wanindu Hasaranga was unbeaten on 37. Rauf and Abrar Ahmed shared the bowling honours for Pakistan, each claiming three wickets.

Pakistan’s chase began at high tempo as Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman punished Sri Lanka’s wayward new-ball pair, but Sri Lanka finally broke through when Dushmantha Chameera removed Ayub for 33.

Azam joined Zaman at the crease and the pair settled down, rotating strike and punishing anything short or wide while Sri Lanka were also guilty of several dropped catches.

Zaman eventually departed for 78, immediately after smashing a massive six over deep midwicket, with Chameera striking again after Liyanage took a sharp catch.

But Mohammad Rizwan came in and stitched together a composed partnership of 112 runs with Azam. Rizwan brought up his fifty (51 not out) in the penultimate over before Azam fittingly hit the winning run.

The final ODI will also be played in Rawalpindi on Sunday before a T20 tri-series with Zimbabwe from Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has revealed six potential cities for bidders interested in acquiring the rights to own two new teams in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) for the upcoming decade.

In a recent meeting between PSL CEO Salman Naseer and current franchise representatives, the PCB announced that bidders would be able to select from Hyderabad, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Muzaffarabad, Gilgit, and Rawalpindi. The process to acquire ownership of the new teams will begin with the issuance of tenders in the coming days, with the sale expected to be concluded by next month.

Following the conclusion of this exercise, renewal offer letters reflecting the new franchise fees for the next 10 years have been formally shared with all compliant PSL Franchises requesting them to revert with their decision within the stipulated timeline.

“To ensure full transparency and facilitate a clear understanding of the valuations, the PCB has also arranged collective and individual meetings between franchise representatives and the independent valuer (EY MENA). These sessions will allow the franchises to review the valuation methodology and discuss any queries,” the PCB said in a statement.

Agencies