Pakistan vs Sri Lanka tri-series final Saturday 1pm PKT in Lahore: Fakhar or Farhan, and stopping Rathnayake

Pakistan play Sri Lanka in the ODI tri-series final at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Saturday 31 October, a day-night match starting at 1pm PKT, according to ESPNcricinfo's match page. Pakistan reached the final by winning their first three games; Sri Lanka got there by thrashing them by eight wickets at the same ground on Tuesday, bowling the hosts out for 110 (our report).

PAK vs SL final: time and details

England were knocked out after Tuesday's result. They beat Sri Lanka by 55 runs on Thursday, scoring 386 for 5, but it was a dead rubber.

The match-up that decides it

Pakistan's bowling has been the best in the series. Captain Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf give them pace with variety, and spinners Shadab Khan and Arafat Minhas helped defend two below-par totals and hold England to 241. The problem is the top order: the first three have been out of form, and when the lower middle order has not rescued them, Pakistan have collapsed, as they did on Tuesday.

Sri Lanka bat deep and hit hard. They chased 430 against England earlier in the series and have passed 330 twice. Their star is Pavan Rathnayake, 24, with 350 runs at an average of 116.67 and a strike rate of 123.67, including two centuries against England. Left-armer Dilshan Madushanka took a career-best 5 for 34 against Pakistan on Tuesday.

Team news

Pakistan's main call is at the top: Fakhar Zaman, out of form but with a big-match record, or Sahibzada Farhan, who flew in from the Nepal Premier League on Tuesday morning and was not picked that day.

Pakistan (probable): Maaz Sadaqat, Fakhar Zaman or Sahibzada Farhan, Babar Azam, Saad Baig (wk), Salman Agha, Hasan Nawaz, Arafat Minhas, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi (capt), Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf.

Sri Lanka (probable, unchanged): Kamindu Mendis, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis (capt, wk), Pavan Rathnayake, Sahan Arachchige, Janith Liyanage, Dasun Shanaka, Dunith Wellalage, Eshan Malinga, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka.

Babar Azam in focus

Babar Azam passed 10 in three of his four innings this series without going on to a big score, and top-scored with 29 in Tuesday's collapse. A final in Lahore, with a World Cup ahead, is another chance to answer the charge that he does not deliver on the biggest days.

Lahore history favours Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka have won six of eight ODIs against Pakistan in Lahore. Pakistan's last ODI tri-series title was the 2008 Kitply Cup in Bangladesh, and they lost the final of their last home tri-series to New Zealand in early 2025. The Lahore pitches have been flat all series and the forecast is warm and sunny, so the side batting first will need a big total.

We will add the result here after the match.