Pakistan is expected to make two changes for the second Test against Sri Lanka in Galle. The visitors lead the two-Test series 1-0 thanked to opener Abdullah Shafique’s brilliant knock of 160 to chase down a record 342 at the same venue on a tense fifth day of the first Test.
According to reports, spinner Nauman Ali is likely to replace injured pacer Shaheen Afridi, while top-order batter Azhar Ali will make way for Fawad Alam.
Earlier, Afridi, the 2021 ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year, suffered an injury to his knee during day four of the first Test. Pakistan mounted an incredible chase in the first Test, to win the contest by four wickets. The visitors chased down a target of 342.
Pakistan Head Coach Saqlain Mushtaq believes that the visitors could suffer due to the absence of star pacer Shaheen Afridi, who suffered a knee injury during the first Test.
Mushtaq spoke to media on Saturday ahead of the second and final Test, which begins on July 24.
Crucial World Test Championship points will be up for grabs for both teams, with Pakistan third and Sri Lanka sixth in the current standings.
Expected lineup;
Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Fawad Alam, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Nawaz, Nauman Ali, Yasir Shah, Naseem Shah, Hasan Ali.
