Pakistan’s ODI captain Shaheen Shah Afridi praised Babar Azam as the 'backbone' of the national team after securing a series victory against Sri Lanka at the Pindi Cricket Stadium. Afridi highlighted the team’s unity as the key to success and lauded Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan for their leadership and consistent performances. He expressed satisfaction at Babar’s return to form with a century and commended Rizwan’s senior role. Afridi also appreciated Wasim Junior’s comeback performance after injury, emphasizing the bowlers’ ability to change the course of matches. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s batting coach Julian Wood acknowledged Pakistan’s superior performance and praised the Rawalpindi crowd’s support. He admitted Sri Lanka’s early batting collapse cost them the final ODI but stressed the importance of focusing on World Cup preparations and adapting strategies for the upcoming T20 tri-series.