Lanka seek revival in Pak T20s

Sri Lanka will look to prevent a clean sweep by Pakistan on the current tour when they clash in two Twenty20 internationals in Colombo on Thursday and Saturday.

Pakistan won the preceding Test series 2-1 and also clinched the one-dayers 3-2 to earn a double triumph in the island nation for the first time since 2006.

But Sri Lanka, the reigning World Twenty20 champions and the top-ranked side in the shortest format, get a chance to salvage pride in the two end-of-tour games at the Premadasa stadium.

Both sides wear a fresh look under new captains, with sling-arm fast bowler Lasith Malinga leading Sri Lanka and veteran Shahid Afridi taking over at the helm for fifth-ranked Pakistan.

While Malinga has retired from Test cricket and played in four of the five one-dayers, Afridi has quit the other two formats and will make his first appearance on the tour.

With the next World Twenty20 in India just eight months away, both sides have blooded new players to give them experience in the nuances of T20 cricket.

Sri Lanka’s 15-man squad includes five uncapped players in batsmen Shehan Jayasuriya, <g data-gr-id="17">Dasun</g> Shanaka and Dhananjaya de Silva, fast bowler <g data-gr-id="18">Binura</g> Fernando and leg-spinner Jeffrey <g data-gr-id="19">Vandersay</g>.