Liverpool star Cody Gakpo has admitted there is "pressure" surrounding the title race ahead of a crucial clash against Newcastle United.

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Gakpo key player for LiverpoolOne year since arrivalOpens up on title race pressureGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The 24-year-old Netherlands international has claimed although there is pressure ahead of hosting the Magpies at Anfield, he and his Liverpool team-mates are preparing in the same way and are ready for the test.

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Speaking ahead of the upcoming clash against Newcastle, Gakpo also talked up the collective spirit in the Liverpool camp. "I think we are doing really good from the beginning of the season and we have a good group," he told the official Liverpool website. "This game, even though we are in first place, we just go into this game like it's a really important game – like every other game.Of course it brings pressure to be in the top position in the league but I think we don't see it like that. We are just really focused on that one game we have to play in that moment, and I think that's also a strength of the team.

"They [Newcastle] have a really good team. Obviously we have to work really hard, we have to fight together, stick together even through the difficult moments maybe that will come in the game – hopefully not but it's a world-class team as well.It's hopefully going to be a great game with us on top at the end."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Gakpo arrived at Liverpool in the January transfer window for around £36 million ($46m), and he is now approaching a year at the club ahead of the game on New Year's Day.

The versatile forward has made just under 50 appearances for the Reds in the short time he has been on Merseyside, as he looks to secure his first bit of silverware at the club in the near future, further outlining why he is remaining focused when commenting on a possible title race in 2024.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR GAKPO?

Gakpo, as well as other players in the team such as Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota, will all have to step-up in the coming weeks as they prepare to lose star-man Mohamed Salah to the Africa Cup of Nations.

Liverpool will play their final fixture with the Egyptian against Newcastle, before he jets off to the Ivory Coast to join up with his international team-mates. Following his departure, Gakpo will need to prepare for an FA Cup meeting against Arsenal and a Premier League game against Fulham.

Liverpool are going to 'bid again' for Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia and are now the 'big favourites' to sign the Belgium international this summer, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

Which clubs are interested in Romeo Lavia?

According to Sky Sports chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol, Liverpool have had a £40 million bid rejected for Southampton midfielder Lavia and it is said that the South Coast side value the 19-year-old at £50 million.

The Daily Mail have claimed that Liverpool and Southampton held further talks on Thursday and the Reds are now set to launch a bid in the region of £45 million to try and entice Lavia to Anfield.

Jurgen Klopp is keen to see the Belgian talent arrive on Merseyside as he looks to replace former club captain Jordan Henderson, who has moved to Saudi Pro League side Al Ettifaq to team up with Steven Gerrard.

Chelsea are keen on providing a twist in the tale and are plotting a 'full-scale hijack' of Liverpool's endeavours to sign Lavia due to running into trouble in their pursuit of Brighton & Hove Albion enforcer Moises Caicedo, as per Football Insider.

Manchester City also hold a buyback clause for Lavia worth around £40 million that will activate in the summer of 2024 and receive 20% of any fee Southampton gain if the Brussels-born ace leaves St Mary's Stadium.

Last term, Lavia enjoyed a productive campaign despite Southampton suffering relegation to the Sky Bet Championship and featured 34 times in all competitions, registering one goal and a solitary assist, as per Transfermarkt.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer guru Romano has detailed that Liverpool are still in pole position to bring Lavia to Anfield this summer.

Romano stated: "At the moment, the feeling is that Liverpool are the big favourites. They are going to bid again.

"They feel that the player is prepared to say 'yes', so I think they are confident. But now it's time to close the deal."

Who else could Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp sign this summer?

According to Toro.it via Sport Witness, Liverpool and Crystal Palace remain 'vigilant' in the race to sign Torino defender Perr Schuurs this window.

Reds boss Klopp is an admirer of the former Ajax defender and would like him to play alongside Virgil Van Dijk in central defence; however, negotiations over a fee have stalled due to Torino's €40 million (£34.2 million) asking price.

One player that doesn't look likely to pitch up at Anfield this summer is Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, who has rejected an offer from Liverpool and instead agreed personal terms with Manchester United ahead of a proposed move to Old Trafford, as per Corriere della Sera via METRO.

Lecce defender Patrick Dorgu's agent Kingsley Ogbodo has revealed that Liverpool could offer his client a route to the Premier League in a recent interview with Sport Italia cited by The Daily Express, stating: “I've received this information and I know they have been watching him, they know who he is and are following him. Barcelona and [Manchester] City too, but as I've said in previous interviews, there's no way he's going away right now. "No, they haven't made any offers. But Liverpool are very likely to make one. I don't know if that will happen, but they are interested and they like the player.

In the next few weeks, we will better understand whether Klopp has any more ideas up his sleeve as the window nears its last full month of transfer activity.

Sylhet Sixers, the newest team in the Bangladesh Premier League, announced their arrival with a nine-wicket thumping of the defending champions Dhaka Dynamites in a packed 18,000-capacity Sylhet International Cricket Stadium

The Report by Mohammad Isam in Sylhet04-Nov-2017
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsBoth Upul Tharanga and Andre Fletcher scored fifties•Raton Gomes

Sylhet Sixers, the newest team in the Bangladesh Premier League, announced their arrival with a nine-wicket thumping of the defending champions Dhaka Dynamites in a packed 18,000-capacity Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.Sylhet captain Nasir Hossain backed up his decision to field with a tidy spell of 2 for 21 in four overs that helped restrict Dhaka to 136 for 7. Abul Hasan, the only local presence in Sylhet, effectively changed his pace up to pick up two wickets, and alongside Liam Plunkett (2 for 20), reined in Dhaka in the slog overs. Sylhet’s bowlers held their own against the firepower of Kieron Pollard and Shakib Al Hasan to limit Dhaka’s scoring to 36 runs in the last five overs.Andre Fletcher and Upul Tharanga then flattened Dhaka with a 125-run opening stand that shut the doors on the visiting team. The pair struck ten fours and five sixes between them to lead Sylhet past the finishing line with 19 deliveries to spare.Nasir’s early footholdNasir may have been late for the toss by five minutes, but he had much of the early say. He first removed Mehedi Maruf, in the very first over of the game. Evin Lewis and Kumar Sangakkara then mixed patience with the odd boundary as they offset the early loss, before Nasir broke the 54-run stand. Lewis, who was looking dangerous, having struck three fours and a six, spliced Nasir to long-off, where Abul Hasan completed a straightforward catch.Experience neutralisedFour down and going at under seven an over, any hopes Dhaka may have had of a late surge were severely hit with the departures of Kieron Pollard, the world’s most experienced T20 cricketer, and Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh’s most experienced, in quick succession. Pollard tried to force Abul Hasan over mid-off but was undone by the local boy’s slower ball, resulting in an easy catch for Nasir at long-off. Eleven deliveries later, Shakib gave Liam Plunkett the charge, but could barely get his stroke over the in-field, hitting it straight into the hands of Sabbir Rahman at mid-off.Yes and noFletcher had just belted the first ball of the sixth over from Abu Hider for a six when he and Upul Tharanga were caught in a big mix-up. Fletcher meandered out of the crease after trying to muscle one through the leg side and getting hit on the thigh instead. With the batsmen having considered a run, Tharanga ran over halfway down the pitch. Hider did the hard work and got to the ball well in time, but couldn’t effect a direct hit that could have made a big difference.Fletcher redeems himselfHaving made just 92 runs in six matches last year and being subsequently let go by Khulna Titans, Fletcher strode out on Saturday with a point to prove. And he proved his worth in emphatic fashion, powering his way to a 38-ball half-century. It was a typically aggressive knock, studded with five fours and three sixes. Fletcher perished after doing all the hardwork, though, holing out with Sylhet requiring 12 more runs. But with Tharanga holding sway with an unbeaten 69 off 48 balls, Sylhet hardly broke a sweat in finishing with two points.What they said”The wicket was good. There was nothing wrong in it. We had a bad day.”
“I think our bowlers were outstanding to keep them under 140, given their team and the size of this ground.”

Maharashtra Cricket Association also says it will conduct a probe into the matter which will be independent of the ICC’s investigation

Nagraj Gollapudi26-Oct-2017Contrary to the BCCI’s assertion that Pandurang Salgaoncar has been “dismissed” from his role, the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) says it has only suspended him as head groundsman of the Pune pitch. The MCA will appoint its own committee to conduct a probe, which will be conducted after investigation being carried out by the ICC’s anti-corruption unit (ACU).”He has been suspended as curator and as also the MCA member because of any actions which might bring disrepute to the association,” a MCA official told ESPNcricinfo. “There will be an inquiry and depending upon the verdict a final decision will be taken.”Action was taken against Salgaoncar on Thursday, hours before the India-New Zealand T20, for “malpractice” that was captured on camera by undercover reporters from . The decision to suspend Salgaoncar was unilaterally taken by the MCA president Abhay Apte, after the footage was released. It is understood that Salgaoncar had come to the ground on the morning of the T20, but Apte met him and explained the seriousness of the issue. Apte informed Salgaoncar that he was left with no choice but to suspend him. He also said that the best solution was for Salgaoncar to leave the ground.According to the MCA official, Salgaoncar asked if he could watch the match sitting in an MCA box, but Apte declined such a request as the curator’s presence would have added to the media furore. “There was the issue about perception. There is an issue about faith, about trust, and it was not appropriate to let him continue in the job and it would be incorrect,” the MCA official said.The MCA was relieved once ICC match referee Chris Broad gave the match the go-ahead upon examining the pitch.On Thursday, in an emergency meeting, Apte explained to the MCA members the logic behind suspending Salgaoncar. “The MCA suspended him pending enquiry. We cannot terminate him without any proof and finding. And we cannot let him go just based on a perception that he had done something wrong.”Asked whether Salgaoncar had committed a breach of the ICC’s ACU code, the MCA official agreed there was a violation. “Prima facie there is evidence and misconduct and hence he was suspended. If it is confirmed that there was [misconduct] then he will be removed. If it confirmed that was not the case, then he will be reinstated.”

Everton will need to further supplement their attacking ranks this summer to hit the ground running this season, with Sean Dyche setting his sights on Southampton striker Che Adams.

Who are Everton signing this summer?

According to multiple sources – including BBC Sport – the Toffees are closing on a deal for Sporting Lisbon striker Youssef Chermiti, aged 19, who broke into first-team contention last term.

Ashley Young has already been signed on a free transfer while Arnaut Danjuma arrives on a one-year loan transfer, but a recognised and established centre-forward would also be well-received as Everton strive to avoid another season mired in relegation troubles.

Read the latest Everton transfer news HERE…

And so, Adams – who was relegated with Saints last season – is also being considered for transfer, with Football Insider revealing the Merseyside outfit have a genuine interest in the Scotland international, with Premier League rivals Bournemouth and Wolverhampton Wanderers also in pursuit.

Should Everton sign Che Adams?

Adams penned a deal with the south coast club for £15m from Birmingham City in 2019, and has scored 31 goals and supplied 15 assists from 145 outings across all competitions.

Once quirkily likened to "the ketchup bottle phenomenon" by former manager Ralph Hasenhuttl for maintaining his hunger for goals despite a concerning goal drought, Adams is the tenacious and multi-skilled striker Everton could benefit from.

He suffered an injury-disrupted campaign as Southampton fell into the second tier, but still plundered five goals and three assists from 23 starts, as per Sofascore, forging 1.7 shots and 0.9 key passes per match.

To compare this to Dyche's attacking options last term, Maupay scored once, averaging 1.2 shots and 0.3 key passes per match, while Dominic Calvert-Lewin only scored twice as he fought his own fight against injury, though did average 1.8 shots and 0.5 key passes per outing.

As per FBref, Adams is interestingly considered the most comparable player to Roma striker Tammy Abraham, and given the former Chelsea ace's dynamism and variety in attacking approach, Dyche could certainly benefit from adding a similar player to the ranks.

Abraham was once described as "incredible" by former manager Frank Lampard, and has impressed during his time in Italy, scoring 36 goals and supplying 12 assists from 107 appearances, winning the Conference League in the 21/22 campaign.

The 11-cap England international averaged 1.6 shots and 0.9 key passes per game last season and as such boasts a similar profile to Adams, which would only play in Everton's favour.

There is a cautious optimism that Calvert-Lewin will play a major role in the forthcoming campaign, and has been partaking in a new summer fitness regime to build his resilience.

The 6 foot 2 focal point will be the team's main goal-grabber if he can indeed put his medical issues behind him, and Adams could prove to be the perfect partner, offering a more dynamic, multi-faceted threat.

Abrahams once claimed that Jose Mourinho's tutelage in Rome was turning him into a "monster", and perhaps Dyche can play to Adams' strengths to a similar effect.

USMNT goalkeeper Matt Turner yearns for a "less chaotic" year in 2024 after his calamitous display for Nottingham Forest against Manchester United.

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Turner joined Forest in the summerHas been through both ups and downs with new clubHopes for more stability in 2024WHAT HAPPENED?

The USMNT shot-stopper signed a four-year contract with the Tricky Trees after completing a £10 million transfer from Arsenal in search of more minutes. He started as the No. 1 choice between the sticks but soon lost his spot to Odysseas Vlachodimos following Forest's 3-0 defeat to Liverpool in October.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

After getting benched for five consecutive Premier League matches, Steve Cooper was forced to fall back on Turner after a 5-0 thrashing to Fulham at Craven Cottage. However, the American 'keeper has continued to be error-prone and has shipped in cheap goals against Tottenham and United, who were gifted a way back into the game on Saturday thanks to his poor kicking. Although he was bailed out by Morgan Gibbs-White's elegant finish against the Red Devils, Turner faces the threat of being dropped again if he fails to find consistency.

WHAT MATT TURNER SAID

After finishing 2023 with a win at the City Ground, Turner wants the new year to bring in more stability. Sharing a carousel of pictures, he wrote on Instagram: "Final frames of 2023! Learning so much week in and week out about life on and off the pitch. New city new team new member of the family all at once!! Looking forward to more memories in 2024, maybe a bit less chaotic eh?"

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DID YOU KNOW?

Turner, who was deemed surplus to requirements at Arsenal after failing to usurp Aaron Ramsdale between the sticks, has conceded 23 goals in 15 appearances since joining Forest and has kept just two clean sheets.

Manchester City goal machine Erling Haaland has finally returned to training after recovering from a foot injury.

• Haaland back in training
• Has recovered from foot injury
• City in FA Cup action next

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Haaland has not played for City since featuring in a 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa in December. The striker picked up a foot injury that ruled him out of the Club World Cup but is close to a return. City showed how the striker was back in training ahead of their FA Cup third-round tie against Huddersfield Town in a series of images posted on social media.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  City will be thrilled to have their top scorer back in action even though they haven't fared too badly in his absence. City won the Club World Cup, beat Crvena Zvezda in the Champions League and enjoyed Premier League wins over Luton, Everton and Sheffield United without the striker in their side.

• (C)GettyImages
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  Haaland scored the most goals of any player in Europe's big five leagues in all competitions in 2023, netting 44 times for Pep Guardiola's side.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR HAALAND AND MAN CITY?

  It remains to be seen if Haaland will return to action against Huddersfield or if he will be kept in reserve. City then take on Newcastle in the Premier League and can cut the gap to leaders Liverpool to two points with a win.

Allrounder Washington Sundar’s maiden first-class hundred – 156* off 223 balls – underpinned Tamil Nadu‘s dominance against Tripura in Chennai. Opening the batting in the absence of M Vijay – who is suffering from a neck spasm – Sundar struck 14 fours and a six to give his team a 74-run first-innings lead at stumps on the second day.He first added 162 for the opening stand with his captain Abhinav Mukund before combining with B Indrajith for an unbroken 152-run stand for the third wicket. Abhinav made 76 off 130 balls – his second successive first-class fifty – while Indrajith stayed unbeaten on 73 off 121 balls. Tripura used seven bowlers with only Joydeep Bhattacharjee and Gurinder Singh finding success. The hosts, ultimately, closed the day at 332 for 2, scoring at over four runs per over.Earlier, seamer K Vignesh’s 4 for 41 helped Tamil Nadu dismiss Tripura for 258 from an overnight 244 for 7. The visitors had lost their last seven wickets for just 55 runs. R Ashwin finished with figures of 25.1-6-64-2.Wicketkeeper-batsman Naman Ojha completed his 21st first-class hundred – 180 off 410 balls – to propel Madhya Pradesh to 409 against a depleted Mumbai side in Indore. In reply, Mumbai ended the day at 130 for 1 with opener Jay Bista punching 89 of those in only 96 balls.Resuming from an overnight 250 for 5, MP lost Ankit Sharma early on the second day, but Ankit Kushwah and Mihir Hirwani made 34 and 31 respectively to assist Ojha and help take the total past 400. Debutant Akash Parkar was the pick of the bowlers for Mumbai, finishing with 4 for 70.Kushwah then struck with the ball to have Akhil Herwadkar caught behind for 17, but Bista’s counterattack and Siddhesh Lad’s stickability helped Mumbai trim the deficit to 279.A 139-run partnership for the eighth wicket between Swapnil Singh and Atit Sheth lifted Baroda from 203 for 7 to an eventual score of 373 against Andhra in Vadodara. Andhra’s batting line-up, which had given Tamil Nadu a scare in the first round, mounted a strong reply with captain Hanuma Vihari and Ricky Bhui scoring unbeaten half-centuries. The two batsmen helped Andhra end the day at 190 for 2.Sheth followed his 70 not out with the wicket of opener Prasanth Kumar. Left-arm spinner Swapnil, who was the top-scorer for Baroda with 88, went wicketless in five overs.

A reduction in the number of board members and limits on director terms could see ECB president Giles Clarke step down next year

George Dobell04-Nov-2017Giles Clarke’s long spell at the ECB looks set to end in 2018 due to changes in the governance of the sport.Clarke, currently the ECB’s first president, has been on the board of the organisation since 2005 and, between 2007 and 2015, was its chairman. But with the ECB set to reduce the size of its board from 13 to a maximum of 12 (and quite possibly 10) and introduce maximum term limits, it seems certain Clarke, now aged 64, will stand aside in the next few months.To comply with the governance requirements of UK Sport and Sport England, the ECB will shortly introduce a term limit of nine years (three terms of three years) for directors, while it will also be obliged to have a minimum of 30% of each gender on the board. At present, only two of the ECB’s 13 directors are women. While there is some scope for a director staying in position for 12 years if they are “appointed as chair… or to a senior position on an international federation” – Clarke qualifies on both counts – it will shortly become necessary for a director to have a break of four years before serving on the board again.The ECB has previously opposed any reduction in the size of the board suggesting that to do so would pose a threat to its “operational effectiveness”. They have also claimed that the “highly complex nature of the business” necessitated longer periods in office.The changes will be enshrined in the ECB’s amended Articles of Association – sent to counties this week and scheduled to be agreed in December and ratified at the AGM in April 2018 – alongside a raft of other adaptations. Among them will be an end to the system where the first-class counties (and the MCC) elect a chairman. It will instead be left to the board to elect one.Clarke might charitably be said to have polarised opinions during his spell at the ECB. While he oversaw an influx of money into the game – money that helped improve facilities for spectators and players and contributed to a period of much-improved results on the pitch – he also presided over a period when cricket’s relevance diminished in the public consciousness and gained an ever-more-elitist reputation. Clarke also deserves credit for his support of women’s cricket, disability cricket and, more latterly, Pakistan cricket though his attempts to backtrack on his role on the ‘Big Three’ takeover at the ICC convinced few.The ECB also intends to introduce a Regulatory Committee in the coming weeks. Increasingly anxious about government scrutiny of governance in sport – ECB chairman Colin Graves recently described it as “the most important issue for our sport” in a letter to the counties – the committee is intended, in Graves’ words, to “ensure that we are properly protecting ourselves in relation to integrity matters”.The committee will be chaired by Nick Coward, who has previously been CEO of the British Horseracing Authority and General Secretary of the Premier League, and also include three independent members, two senior ECB executives and an independent member from the ECB board.

Sri Lanka have lost nine ODIs in a row. Pakistan have won eight of their last nine. Is there any way for Sri Lanka to keep the series alive?

The Preview by Andrew Fidel Fernando17-Oct-2017

Big Picture

It didn’t seem so long ago that Pakistan were considered a modest ODI outfit playing an outdated form of the game. Their batting was too slow, their bowlers not penetrative enough, and their fielding conformed to stereotype. Now, suddenly, having beaten the world, they have begun to play like world-beaters. It is the newer players that have injected this fresh energy: the likes of Babar Azam, Hasan Ali, Shadab Khan and Fakhar Zaman who have shaken things up. On Monday, Babar and Shadab, 23 and 19-years-old respectively, heaved their side to a win in a match they should have comfortably lost.The opposing camp can only look on with envy. There, despite the many changes over the last year, there have been no signs of reinvigoration. The nine-match losing streak is their worst in 30 years, their bowlers rarely take wickets, and even when they do – as on Monday – the batsmen fail to score the runs. What’s worse is that so many players who began their careers with promise have begun to flounder in this format. Dinesh Chandimal was once an outstanding limited-overs prospect, now he can barely hold a place in the XI. Milinda Siriwardana and Thisara Perera too – dazzling talents once, but inconsistent performers of late.Having won eight of their last nine ODIs now, Pakistan have begun to acquire an aura of indomitability. Having reduced them to 101 for 6 and still failed, Sri Lanka must be wondering what they have to do to win a match. That, in the middle of a series, SLC is trying to convince individual players to agree to play the third T20 is Lahore, is perhaps also drawing focus from the series at hand.Whatever the case, Pakistan now have the chance to lock down this series. Sri Lanka must reach for a special performance to break their abysmal streak.

Form guide

Sri Lanka LLLLL(completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan WWWWW

In the spotlight

It’s time to talk about Kusal Mendis. It has been 12 international knocks now since he last reached fifty. In ODIs alone, he has not made 40 in his ten most-recent completed innings. There is no pattern to his dismissals, which suggests his slump is largely a matter of confidence. But having for so long been Sri Lanka’s beacon while team-mates regularly collapsed around him, Mendis desperately needs runs in the series to stave off contenders for his position. Asela Gunaratne, Kusal Perera, Angelo Mathews and Danushka Gunathilaka all await a return to the XI, after all.Thirty-three ODIs in, Babar Azam has seven ODI tons and six fifties. He is faster out of the gate than the likes of Virat Kohli – the challenge for Azam now is to maintain that intensity. Among his strengths is that Azam seems to have an innate understanding how to pace a big ODI innings – when to see a tough bowler out, and when to hit out. These are qualities that batsman often do not develop until they are experienced. With three more potential innings against what has been a poor Sri Lanka attack this year, Azam will aim to swell what is already an impressive average of 57.20.

Team news

Pakistan are likely to field the same XI, giving Ahmed Shehzad another run despite scores of 0 and 8 so far.Pakistan (probable): 1 Ahmed Shehzad, 2 Fakhar Zaman, 3 Babar Azam, 4 Mohammad Hafeez, 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Sarfraz Ahmed (capt & wk), 7 Imad Wasim, 8 Shadab Khan, 9 Rumman Raees, 10 Hasan Ali, 11 Junaid KhanFollowing scores of 0 and 3, Milinda Siriwardana’s place in the XI may be under the microscope. The team management may persevere with Siriwardana, but if they drop him, Chamara Kapugedara is likeliest to enter the XI.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Niroshan Dickwella, (wk), 2 Upul Tharanga (capt), 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Lahiru Thirimanne, 5 Dinesh Chandimal, 6 Milinda Siriwardana, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Akila Dananjaya, 9 Jeffrey Vandersay, 10 Suranga Lakmal, 11 Lahiru Gamage

Pitch and conditions

Yet another hot, humid outing awaits the players in Abu Dhabi. The stadium is not typically a high-scoring venue, with 300 having been breached on only three occasions.

Stats and trivia

• Babar Azam is the fastest batsman to seven ODI centuries, doing it eight innings quicker than the next-best batsman
• Pakistan have won both previous bilateral series against Sri Lanka in the UAE. They beat Sri Lanka 4-1 in 2011, and 3-2 in 2013
• Niroshan Dickwella needs 87 more runs to complete 1000 in ODIs. If he does it in the next innings – his 26th – he will be the fastest Sri Lanka batsman to the milestone, beating Roy Dias, who got there in 27

Quotes

“The batters need to get their act together. The skill is there, but they need to get their act together.”
Sri Lanka batting coach Hashan Tillakaratne