Pallekele, Feb. 27 -- It is not just a cricket match. It is a survival test.
Pakistan walk into their final Super 8 fixture of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup knowing that a simple win will not be enough. At the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Saturday evening, they must defeat Sri Lanka - and defeat them convincingly - to keep their semifinal dream alive.
Net Run Rate is now Pakistan's biggest opponent. After a washed-out game and a defeat earlier in the Super 8 stage, Pakistan are stranded on the brink. Their equation is brutal: win big, and hope England crush New Zealand. Anything less, and the campaign ends.
That pressure has turned this contest into one of the most dramatic fixtures of the tournament.
Sri Lanka, in contrast,...