Champions Trophy: Junaid, Amir help Pakistan restrict Sri Lanka to 236

Azhar Ali and Fakhar Zaman have walked out on the field as openers for Pakistan.

Sri Lanka got off to a solid start but failed to retain that position against a quick Pakistani bowling attack, led primarily by Mohammad Amir, Junaid Khan and Hasan Ali.

Niroshan Dickwella and Angelo Mathews emerged to be the highest run-getters for Sri Lanka, having scored 73 and 39 respectively.

Junaid Khan (3), Mohammad Amir (2) and Hasan Ali (3) bagged a bulk of Sri Lankan wickets, with Fahim Ashraf picking up an impressive two wickets in his high-stakes international debut match.

The game turned in Pakistan’s favour between the 30th to 35th over, as pacers Amir and Junaid bagged three quick wickets in a crucial three-over span.

Fahim Ashraf wrapped up the innings by picking Nuwan Pradeep’s wicket, with four balls still remaining of the last over.

Pakistani fans arrived at the stadium this morning to support their team. Cricket statistician Mazher Arshad shared some pictures on twitter.

The losing team will be making its way back home after this knockout fixture. India has already qualified for the semi-final from group B, while England and Bangladesh are moving forward to the next stage from group A.

Teams
Sri Lanka: Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews (cpt), Dinesh Chandimal, Asela Gunaratne, Dhananjaya de Silva, Thisara Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Lasith Malinga, Nuwan Pradeep

Pakistan: Azhar Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed (cpt)(wk), Imad Wasim, Fahim Ashraf, Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali, Junaid Khan

Article source: http://www.suchtv.pk/sports/item/55259-pakistan-to-take-on-sri-lanka-for-a-spot-in-champions-trophy-semis.html