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three T20Is in four days in Pakistan shape up as an ideal warm-up for both Pakistan and Australia ahead of the T20 World Cup in the subcontinent, which begins just six days after the bilateral series concludes on Sunday.
In practice, however, the series comes at a far more convenient time for the hosts than for the visitors. Pakistan are using the contest to finalise their preferred combinations after several senior players were unavailable during the January series against Sri Lanka. Australia, meanwhile, face a less-than-ideal schedule, with the series coming too soon after the Big Bash League and too far ahead of their opening World Cup fixture on February 11. Captain Mitchell Marsh and wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis were involved in the BBL until the final day, while injured players Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Tim David miss out on valuable match practice.
As a result, Australia’s selectors have shelved plans of treating the series as a full-scale warm-up for their first-choice World Cup XI, especially with most of the squad having played a full BBL season. Instead, the focus will be on individual preparation for Travis Head and Cameron Green, who skipped the BBL following the Ashes, while also giving opportunities to emerging players such as Mahli Beardman and Jack Edwards.
Australia will be without Hazlewood, Cummins, David, Nathan Ellis and Glenn Maxwell in Pakistan, with all five set to join the World Cup squad in Sri Lanka. Marsh and Inglis are unlikely to feature in the opening match in Lahore, having only departed Perth on Tuesday after being permitted to stay back and celebrate Perth Scorchers’ BBL title win.
Travis Head is therefore expected to lead the side for just the second time in his career, having previously captained Australia in a T20I in England in 2024. Xavier Bartlett is the only fast bowler from Australia’s World Cup squad available for the Pakistan tour, while both frontline spinners, Adam Zampa and Matthew Kuhnemann, are part of the series.
Pakistan, by contrast, have named their full World Cup squad for the three-match series, with Mohammad Wasim Jr included as additional pace-bowling cover. Notably, Haris Rauf is absent from both squads, a decision that has raised eyebrows in Australia given his impressive BBL performances.
Shaheen Shah Afridi returns after recovering from a knee injury that ruled him out of the BBL, while significant attention will be on Babar Azam’s form following a difficult tournament in Australia, where he struck at 103.06 across 11 innings. How he fits into a batting order that aimed for greater dynamism during the rain-affected series in Sri Lanka remains one of the key talking points ahead of the World Cup.
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
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1. No personal insults at other posters, players, officials, coaching staffs etc.
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4. Stick to commenting on this match. There is no need to bring other countries into the match discussion as there are plenty of other threads where those discussions can be added.
In practice, however, the series comes at a far more convenient time for the hosts than for the visitors. Pakistan are using the contest to finalise their preferred combinations after several senior players were unavailable during the January series against Sri Lanka. Australia, meanwhile, face a less-than-ideal schedule, with the series coming too soon after the Big Bash League and too far ahead of their opening World Cup fixture on February 11. Captain Mitchell Marsh and wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis were involved in the BBL until the final day, while injured players Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Tim David miss out on valuable match practice.
As a result, Australia’s selectors have shelved plans of treating the series as a full-scale warm-up for their first-choice World Cup XI, especially with most of the squad having played a full BBL season. Instead, the focus will be on individual preparation for Travis Head and Cameron Green, who skipped the BBL following the Ashes, while also giving opportunities to emerging players such as Mahli Beardman and Jack Edwards.
Australia will be without Hazlewood, Cummins, David, Nathan Ellis and Glenn Maxwell in Pakistan, with all five set to join the World Cup squad in Sri Lanka. Marsh and Inglis are unlikely to feature in the opening match in Lahore, having only departed Perth on Tuesday after being permitted to stay back and celebrate Perth Scorchers’ BBL title win.
Travis Head is therefore expected to lead the side for just the second time in his career, having previously captained Australia in a T20I in England in 2024. Xavier Bartlett is the only fast bowler from Australia’s World Cup squad available for the Pakistan tour, while both frontline spinners, Adam Zampa and Matthew Kuhnemann, are part of the series.
Pakistan, by contrast, have named their full World Cup squad for the three-match series, with Mohammad Wasim Jr included as additional pace-bowling cover. Notably, Haris Rauf is absent from both squads, a decision that has raised eyebrows in Australia given his impressive BBL performances.
Shaheen Shah Afridi returns after recovering from a knee injury that ruled him out of the BBL, while significant attention will be on Babar Azam’s form following a difficult tournament in Australia, where he struck at 103.06 across 11 innings. How he fits into a batting order that aimed for greater dynamism during the rain-affected series in Sri Lanka remains one of the key talking points ahead of the World Cup.
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
=====
All posters please take note of the following guidelines for match threads on PakPassion:
1. No personal insults at other posters, players, officials, coaching staffs etc.
2. No making fun of player's, official's, coaching staff's names.
3. Do not add any references to media, their social media or post any pictures or screenshots from other sports websites.
4. Stick to commenting on this match. There is no need to bring other countries into the match discussion as there are plenty of other threads where those discussions can be added.
