Pakistan will look to seal the series after a comprehensive four-wicket victory on the back of skipper Sahibzada Farhan’s scintillating 89 and Maaz Sadaqat’s maiden half century in the first T20I.

In the post-match press conference after the match, top-order batter Maaz said that he planned on backing his natural game and play the way he has been playing,

Pakistan accomplished the 183-run target largely untroubled, achieving it seven balls to spare, despite a cluster of wickets falling at the toe-end of the innings.

“It was my first 50 so I am very happy,” said Maaz, who scored a maiden, blistering T20 international half-century off 26 balls at one-drop. “The plan for upcoming matches is to play the way I have been playing and back it.”

The series Farhan’s first assignment at home as captain, and its outcome and findings could be formative for a Pakistan T20 side that is somewhat in the process of a re-build, with senior mainstays like Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Afridi not currently part of the squad.

It provides an opportunity for the management and the new skipper to further assess team combinations and line-ups.

“It would be a lie to say there is no pressure, because when you are representing your country, people have expectations from you,” the captain said.

‘‘As a captain, I am very happy with this team… (In T20s) I think three or four boys perform and it is enough to turn the tables in a match.”

Teams:

PAKISTAN: Sahibzada Farhan (captain), Fakhar Zaman, Maaz Sadaqat, Hasan Nawaz, Saim Ayub, Khawaja Nafay (wicket-keeper), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Imran, Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed

SRI LANKA: Lahiru Udara, Sineth Jayasuriya, Kusal Mendis (captain and wicket-keeper), Kamindu Mendis, Sahan Arachchige, Dasun Shanaka, Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Maheesh Theekshana, Eshan Malinga, Binura Fernando, Nuwan Thushara