Pakistan's Naseem Shah celebrates after Pakistan won by 1 wicket during the second one-day international (ODI) cricket match between Pakistan and Afghanistan at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Hambantota on August 24, 2023. (Photo by Ishara S. Kodikara / AFP)
Colombo: Pakistan skipper Babar Azam won the toss and decided to bat in the third and final one-day international against Afghanistan in Colombo on Saturday.
Pakistan has already won the three-match series by winning the first match by 142 runs and the second by one wicket -- both in Hambantota.
A 3-0 win would push them above Australia to number one in the ODI rankings.
Their unassailable position prompted Pakistan to make four changes from the second match, bringing in Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim and Saud Shakeel.
Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Usama Mir and Iftikhar Ahmed are left out.
Afghanistan made two changes, replacing Ikram Alikhil and Abdul Rahman with Gulbadin Naib and Fareed Ahmad Malik.
Teams:
Pakistan: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Agha Salman, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim, Shaheen Shah Afridi
Afghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Gulbadin Naib, Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Mohammad Nabi, Shahidullah Kamal, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad Malik
Umpires: Nitin Menon (IND) and Izatullah Safi (AFG)
TV umpire: Sharfuddoula (BAN)
Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI)
