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Both teams have taken different route before reaching the Final of ICC World Twenty20. Pakistan who started badly in the tournament went from strength to strength to reach the dream stage. Sri Lanka have won all six matches en route to the tournament climax here at Lord's whereas Pakistan, whom they defeated in the Super Eights, have lost twice.

Sri Lanka and Pakistan both teams strength is in their bowling and that’s why all the top five bowlers of the tournament will feature in today’s final at Lord’s. Sri Lanka once again will rely heavily on their opening pair Dilshan and Jayasurya. So far we have seen Sri Lankan bowlers able to defend any total on any kind wickets because of the variety their bowler poses.

Pakistan once again will hope that inform Shahid Afridi will carry his form from last game to the Finals of world twenty20. If he gets going then it will be all over for Sri Lanka. He is a genuine match winner both with bat and ball. Pakistan team death over bowling is also a worry of concerned for Sri Lanka.

Gul's peerless death bowling remains one reason why Pakistan have the potential to go one step better than in 2007, when Misbah-ul-Haq's traumatic aberration delivered India a five-run victory and instigated a Twenty20 revolution.

Kumar Sangkara just like M.S.Dhoni (in 2007 twenty20 world cup) captaining his side for the first time and it will be no surprise if his team came out as ICC Twenty20 World Champions at the end of the day. K.Sangakara, who played in the Sri Lanka team that lost the 2007 World Cup final to Australia in Barbados, was in no doubt what another triumph in a major global tournament would mean to the islanders.

Whatever the outcome of the game we cricket lovers couldn’t ask for better final than this. Sunday's final is not merely a celebration of cricket, it is a celebration of life.

Watch out for

Umar Gul: A man master of bowling Yorkers in the death over. He is the man on mission for Pakistan with 12 wickets in the tournament and no doubt because of his bowling Pakistan came from strength to strength in each game. When he is on song it is great to watch fast bowler knocking the middle stump of batsman. Against South Africa in the semi final he bowled so well that even a set batsman like Jaques Kallis found difficulty in scoring runs of his bowling.

Tilakratne Dilshan: Dilshan is superb form with bat and in semi final against West Indies he single handedly carry his team through to the final. His team will wish that he plays such innings one more time to help Sri Lanka to lift ICC world twenty20. He is the highest run getter in the tournament, and one of the format's great innovators as well, with his so-called "Dilscoop" turning back-of-a-length dot-balls into un-defendable boundaries over the keeper's head.

Pitch & Condition

Lord’s wicket with slop on one side of wicket is likely to provide good support to fast bowlers as well as spinners. With shorter boundary at one side both teams will eye to score most of the runs in that area. This will be fresh pitch and team winning the toss would like to bat first and put runs on the board to put pressure on team batting second.

Teams

Both teams are already set for Final and will not want to change their winning XI. That means both team is likely to go into the game with unchanged faces.

Likely Playing XI for both Teams (Match is Schedule to begin at 19:30 PM India Time)

Pakistan Squad: Kamran Akmal (WK), Shahzaid Hasan, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Younis Khan (Captain), Misbah-ul-Haq, Abdul Razzaq, Fawad Alam, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Aamer.

Sri Laka Squad: Sanath Jayasuriya, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara (Captain & WK), Mahela Jayawardene, Chamara Silva, Jehan Mubarak, Angelo Mathews, I.Udana, Lasith Malinga, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis.

Stats

For the second consecutive time Pakistan will play ICC World twenty20 Final, last time they lost the final to India by 5 runs.

Top five wicket takers of the tournament will feature in today’s Final. Umar Gul, Mendis, S.Ajmal, Malinga all have taken 12 wickets while Afridi has taken 10 wickets in the tournament.

Before today’s final both teams have featured separately in a 50 over world cup twice. PakistanEngland and then in 1999 at Lord’s they lost to Australia. On the other hand Sri Lanka played in 1996 and 2007. In 1996 they came out as winner and next time they lost to Australia. first played in 1992 world cup and they came out as winner beating