Pakistan Look to Level Series

Colombo: Sri Lanka are up 2-1 as the two teams head into the final game of the five match One Day International series.

Sri Lanka seemed to have problems with their top order in the first half of the tour but they have addressed that in quick time. Their main players - Dilshan, Sangakkara and captain Mahela Jayawardene have scored some useful runs.

Only Upul Tharanga has had a quiet series so far, with scores of 10, 18 and 4. He's just as much in need of a push; if picked tomorrow, he'll play his 150th ODI.

On otherhand, Pakistan's batsmen deprived their team of a chance of winning the series, collapsing to lose seven wickets for 13 runs after reaching a position of advantage in the chase in the fourth ODI.

Umar Gul received treatment on the ring finger of his right hand during the fourth ODI. He was impressive at the start, but faltered in the batting Powerplay. For reasons of injury, or otherwise, Pakistan have Mohammad Sami to fall back on; he's recovering from a thumb injury himself.

Teams from:

Pakistan: Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Sami, Saeed Ajmal, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Akmal, Umar Gul, Abdur Rehman, Aizaz Cheema, Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Imran Farhat, Rahat Ali, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), Younis Khan

Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardene (captain), Dinesh Chandimal, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Angelo Mathews, Thissara Perera, Kumar Sangakkara (wk), Sachithra Senanayake, Upul Tharanga, Lahiru Thirimanne, Jeevan Mendis, Nuwan Pradeep, Dilhara Fernando, Sajeewa Weerakoon

Stats and trivia

• This year has been an expensive one for Umar Gul in ODIs. He's taken 15 wickets at 35.06 - his worst in a year - and has gone for 5.71 an over. His worst year, in terms of economy-rate, was 2010, when he went for 6.25 an over.
• Among players who've scored more than 2500 runs in ODI cricket and not scored a single century, Misbah-ul-Haq has the highest average - 42.30.

Match facts
Monday June 18, 2012 (day/night)
Start time 1430 local (0900 GMT)