Pakistan v Sri Lanka: Statistical highlights

Islamabad, Feb 25: Pakistan's opener Wajahatullah Wasti heads the Test batting averages with 50.50 in both sets of teams at the start of the Pakistan-Sri Lankan series.

The Peshawar-born right-hander scored a century in each innings of a Test against Sri Lanka during the Asian Test Championship match at Lahore last year. Wasti made 133, his highest in four Tests, and an unbeaten 121 in that game.

Skipper Saeed Anwar with nine hundreds and 21 fifties and batting average of 46.10, Inzamam-ul-Haq with eight centuries and 23 fifties (43.22), Aamir Sohail with five hundreds and 13 fifties (36.53) and Yousuf Youhana with one century and nine fifties at 34.50 per innings form the nucleus of Pakistan batting.All-rounder Shahid Afridi has a useful average of 32.00 with one century and a fifty from six Tests.

The tourists batting averages are led by former skipper Aravinda de Silva who has 5422 runs from 79 Tests at an average of 43.72. He also heads the numbers of tons scored by an individuals in both teams with a tally of 17, he has also scored 21 fifties.

Mahela Jayawardena (44.42), Sanath Jayasuriya (42.32), Russel Arnold (39.68), Arjuna Ranatunga (35.30) and Marvan Atapattu (31.45) are the other mainstay of Sri Lankan batting.

In the bowling department, Wasim Akram leads the fray with 383 Test wickets to his credit at an economical average of 23.10, while for Sri Lanka Chaminda Vaas has 108 wickets at 20.31 with best figures of 6-87.

The first Test of the three-match series will be the 22nd Test encounter between the two sides. Pakistan head the winning tally with 10 triumphs at home and away, this includes the final of the Asian Test Championship at Dhaka.

Pakistan have so far hosted 13 Tests against Sri Lanka, winning six, losing two and drawing five. In Sri Lanka they have played seven Test, Pakistan winning three, losing one while drawing three.

This be fourth tour of a Sri Lanka side to Pakistan. During the last visit, back in 1995-96, the visiting side, led by Arjuna Ranatunga, defeated Pakistan 2-1 in the three-match series. Pakistan were led by Ramiz Raja, a current member of the PCB Advisory Panel.