Australia tour of Pakistan 2026: 3rd T20I | Lahore | February 1 | Pre-Match Discussion

[Ball Blazer]

Pakistan take 2-0 lead over Australia in T20I series as third match looms

Pakistan drew first blood in Lahore, downing Australia by 22 runs in the T20I series opener, with Saim Ayub starring both with the bat (40 off 22) and ball (2/29), while Abrar Ahmed wrapped up the win with a miserly 2/10.

They followed it up by thrashing Australia by 90 runs in the second T20I, thanks to half-centuries from Salman Ali Agha 76(40) and Usman Khan 53(36), and a destructive bowling display from Abrar Ahmed (3/14), Shadab Khan (3/26), Usman Tariq (2/16), Mohammad Nawaz, and Saim Ayub, bundling out the visitors for 108. The three-match series concludes tomorrow at the same venue.

Squads:

Australia Squad: Mitchell Marsh(c), Travis Head, Matthew Short, Josh Inglis(w), Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Owen, Ben Dwarshuis, Xavier Bartlett, Adam Zampa, Sean Abbott, Mahli Beardman, Matt Renshaw, Cameron Green, Matthew Kuhnemann, Josh Philippe, Jack Edwards, Cooper Connolly

Pakistan Squad: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Salman Agha(c), Fakhar Zaman, Usman Khan(w), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Shaheen Afridi, Salman Mirza, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq, Khawaja Nafay, Naseem Shah

 

[sweep_shot]

Pakistan should make it 3-0.

 

[YousafTheBeast]

Sahibzada Farhan
Saim Ayub
Salman Agha (c)
Fakhar Zaman
Khawaja Nafay
Usman Khan (wk)
Mohammad Nawaz
Shadab Khan
Naseem Shah
Usman Tariq / Salman Mirza
Abrar Ahmed

This would be my XI going into the WT20.

I would actually back this team to reach the SF. Just get rid of Babar.

 

[sweep_shot]

Sahibzada Farhan
Saim Ayub
Salman Agha (c)
Fakhar Zaman
Khawaja Nafay
Usman Khan (wk)
Mohammad Nawaz
Shadab Khan
Naseem Shah
Usman Tariq / Salman Mirza
Abrar Ahmed

This would be my XI going into the WT20.

I would actually back this team to reach the SF. Just get rid of Babar.

I think Mirza should play ahead of Naseem.

Rest are okay.

 

[YousafTheBeast]

I think Mirza should play ahead of Naseem.

Rest are okay.

I would play both vs India, who will probably prefer playing against our spinners.

 

[sweep_shot]

I would play both vs India, who will probably prefer playing against our spinners.

I think spinners would be more effective. India for some reason struggle more against spin than pace.

Guys like Abhishek prefer pace.

 

[Devadwal]

Is chuker Tariq going to play or they will hide due to fear of reporting ?

 

[Ball Blazer]

I think now Pakistan would go unchanged in third T20I. Spin dominant combo worked well today

 

[CricVet]

Let's look for more Usman Tariq type of UNIQUE bowlers to make T20s great again for Pakistan

 

[Devadwal]

Let's look for more Usman Tariq type of UNIQUE bowlers to make T20s great again for Pakistan

Select Ajmal and Hafeez. What a triloka of Chucker's - Ajmal , Hafeez and Tariq. All are unique

 

[RidiculousMan]

1. Saim
2. Farhan
3. Salman
4. Nafay / Fakhar
5. Usman / Nafay
6. Shadab
7. Nawaz
8. Faheem
9. Shaheen
10. Naseem
11. Abrar

 

[sweep_shot]

Let's look for more Usman Tariq type of UNIQUE bowlers to make T20s great again for Pakistan

There was a time when Pakistan was #1 in T20 cricket. I think it was for over a year.

 

[BreadPakoda]

Select Ajmal and Hafeez. What a triloka of Chucker's - Ajmal , Hafeez and Tariq. All are unique

Malik / Saqi as coach. Afridi as ball and pitch conditioning mentor.

 

[BreadPakoda]

Ignoring all the “uniqueness”, Pakistan finally has a good spin attack and some good hitters at the top. Given they’re playing all the games in SL where the conditions suit their bowlers and batsmen, I think they are a top contender in this WC.

 

[Devadwal]

Ignoring all the “uniqueness”, Pakistan finally has a good spin attack and some good hitters at the top. Given they’re playing all the games in SL where the conditions suit their bowlers and batsmen, I think they are a top contender in this WC.

Pakistan is missing number 4/5 batsman , rest based are almost covered.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Ignoring all the “uniqueness”, Pakistan finally has a good spin attack and some good hitters at the top. Given they’re playing all the games in SL where the conditions suit their bowlers and batsmen, I think they are a top contender in this WC.

Remains to be the seen.

I have a gnawing feeling that we turn up to Sri Lanka expecting spin fests and they are roads.

We can't compete on roads.

 

[BreadPakoda]

Remains to be the seen.

I have a gnawing feeling that we turn up to Sri Lanka expecting spin fests and they are roads.

We can't compete on roads.

Thats fair. IMO still a much better team than what you fielded in the last 2 ICC tournaments.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Australia with their C team is at their wit's end against on industrial fan pitches.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Remains to be the seen.

I have a gnawing feeling that we turn up to Sri Lanka expecting spin fests and they are roads.

We can't compete on roads.

It will be spin friendly. Forget about men's cup. In the women's world cup on those pitches Pakistan gave Australia run for their money. The gulf is immensely wide in women's team between Pakistan and Australia. The gap was significantly reduced on those pitches

 

[corleone]

Sahib
Saim
Agha
Fakhar
Nafay
Usman Khan
Shadab
M Nawaz
Faheem
Abrar
Tariq/Mirza

This side bats deep. On seamer friendly surfaces play Mirza. On spinning decks which is mostly what we'll get play Usman Tariq.

 

[zahid01]

Is chuker Tariq going to play or they will hide due to fear of reporting ?

One chucker on each side tariq and bumrah

 

[Devadwal]

One chucker on each side tariq and bumrah

No players/ umpire complained about bumrah action unlike chuker Tariq.

I'm 100% confident Tariq will be reported by ICC umpire very soon. Pakistan umpire won't report in this series as they are biased.

 

[BreadPakoda]

Pakistan is missing number 4/5 batsman , rest based are almost covered.

Unlike what you expect from PCB, they’ve smartly built a good team by getting rid of Rizwan and some pure hacks. And also chosen a smart guy to lead. They were on track getting rid of Babar too but that doesn’t look possible now. His fans / media won’t allow that.

Although I think he may come handy in a game or two in SL.

 

[Aqib_mustafa]

Australia with their C team is at their wit's end against on industrial fan pitches.

Leave it bro you are acting like australia had no players main players were still there inglis head marsh green will destroy indian bowling anywhere but pakistan will always beat Australian side in these spinning conditions doesn't matter australia play their main team or c team

 

[Devadwal]

Leave it bro you are acting like australia had no players main players were still there inglis head marsh green will destroy indian bowling anywhere but pakistan will always beat Australian side in these spinning conditions doesn't matter australia play their main team or c team

Pakistan defeated Australia in a T20 after More than 7 years.

Wait for T20 World cup if pakistan - Australia meet, they will thrash Pakistan like a minnows

 

[Aqib_mustafa]

Pakistan defeated Australia in a T20 after More than 7 years.

Wait for T20 World cup if pakistan - Australia meet, they will thrash Pakistan like a minnows

Look man tell your Aussie to beat pakistan in these conditions they can't even play spin how they going to beat pakistan got any clues?

 

[zahid01]

No players/ umpire complained about bumrah action unlike chuker Tariq.

I'm 100% confident Tariq will be reported by ICC umpire very soon. Pakistan umpire won't report in this series as they are biased.

We all know why bumrah is not reported anyway we will see in the world cup if he gets reported u tariq that is

 

[Devadwal]

We all know why bumrah is not reported

Care to explain?

 

[jnaveen1980]

Leave it bro you are acting like australia had no players main players were still there inglis head marsh green will destroy indian bowling anywhere but pakistan will always beat Australian side in these spinning conditions doesn't matter australia play their main team or c team

There were 3 debutants. So the batting order is not settled, role is not defined. So you expect this. Having said that you cannot collapse like this.

 

[Devadwal]

Look man tell your Aussie to beat pakistan in these conditions they can't even play spin how they going to beat pakistan got any clues?

Are humko sab pta hai kon kitna pani Main hai. This is how Pakestani always hyped the own team just before the tournament but exposed in the tournament because where team are going to play with full strength.

 

[zahid01]

Babar must be left out and nafay should play

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Initially I thought there was more turn under lights but it may just be because Pakistani spinners are bowling much slower than OZ spinners .



That and the extra low bounce of these pitches has completely done Australia in.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Initially I thought there was more turn under lights but it may just be because Pakistani spinners are bowling much slower than OZ spinners .

View attachment 161211

That and the extra low bounce of these pitches has completely done Australia in.

Yeah this adds up. Connolly bowls stump to stump and quick, while Zampa is all about the variations and uses his quicker one fairly regularly. This bodes well for Pakistan because Sri Lankan pitches have the tendency to be pretty low-bounce aswell.

 

[sweep_shot]

Babar must be left out and nafay should play

Babar seems mentally shot after that Sydney Sixers incident with Smith.

Confidence has been affected.

 

[zahid01]

Care to

Care to explain?

Umpire are scared because of bcci influence on icc we all know that umpire are not stupid they are earning a living bcci can end their livelihood if an indian player is reported

 

[hur rizvi]

Ignoring all the “uniqueness”, Pakistan finally has a good spin attack and some good hitters at the top. Given they’re playing all the games in SL where the conditions suit their bowlers and batsmen, I think they are a top contender in this WC.

Batting is one of the worst still

 

[hur rizvi]

Initially I thought there was more turn under lights but it may just be because Pakistani spinners are bowling much slower than OZ spinners .

View attachment 161211

That and the extra low bounce of these pitches has completely done Australia in.

Pakistani spinners are better too. Other than zampa whose main specialty is control Australia have pretty bad spinners

 

[Katwalindian]

There were 3 debutants. So the batting order is not settled, role is not defined. So you expect this. Having said that you cannot collapse like this.

Al are wc players apart from abbot which are playing today....its not like tim david would have made any difference....