They added 46 crucial runs for the eighth wicket.
Half-centuries from Fakhar Zaman (50) and Sarfraz (61 not out) got the job done after Hasan Ali (3-43) and Junaid Khan (3-40) did well to restrict Sri Lanka to 236 all out.
However, the Pakistan team's impressive turnaround has left Sohail unimpressed and he asserted that "external factors" helped them to reach the final.
Sri Lanka did not require a second invitation to go for the jugular, giving themselves sight of an unlikely win before it was taken away from them by an inspired captain's innings, securing the win with 5.1 over to spare.
Pakistan were helped as much by Sri Lanka's fielding mistakes as they were by the tenacity of Sarfraz Ahmed and Mohammad Amir. What a coincidence! Both the teams will also be squaring off in the Hockey World League semi-finals and that too in London.
Earlier, Pakistan won the toss and asked the English team to take the charge with bat.
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England bowlers struggled throughout to get breakthroughs in the Pakistan innings. Sri Lanka kept the pressure on and Pakistan kept losing wickets at regular intervals.
"Cricket can become a motivation for the young people of Pakistan, who are growing up in a divided country", he added.
Sri Lanka had lost four wickets for six runs in 25 balls, leaving them with a Herculean task to post a competitive score and keep alive any realistic semi-final hopes.
Fakhar reached his 50 off 49 balls before being stumped by Buttler off Rashid for 57 but Azhar and Babar Azam calmly continued to milk runs all around the ground as England's bowlers ran out of ideas. Not only will India and Pakistan clash on the cricket field, the two teams will lock horns in the Hockey World League semifinals and thus, for a sports aficionado, it is Super Sunday.
Their opposite number Bairstow - brought in to open for the first time in global cricket in place of the out-of-form Jason Roy - had responded with a battling 43, but on a used pitch that precluded fluent strokeplay as the ball swung too, England could never get a foothold and folded tamely in their attempt to set a defendable total.
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