Confident Pakistan face Australia in first T20I today

LAHORE: After a historic ODI series win over Australia, Pakistan’s cricket team is ready to face off again in a three-match T20I series starting Thursday (today).

This series marks a milestone for wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan, who will lead Pakistan’s T20I side for the first time, becoming the 12th man to captain the country in the format. Matches will take place across three Australian cities: Brisbane, Sydney, and Hobart, scheduled for 14, 16, and 18 November.

Rizwan expressed both optimism and caution ahead of the series, acknowledging the challenging nature of international cricket despite the team’s recent success. “We are confident after beating Australia in the ODI series, but international cricket is always challenging,” Rizwan said. “We’ve defined roles for every player, and we’re keen on executing our plans, not just for this series but with an eye on upcoming fixtures against Zimbabwe and South Africa.”

Rizwan took over the captaincy of Pakistan’s white-ball cricket team after Babar Azam stepped down from the position last month. To strengthen their lineup, Pakistan has called up six players — Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Sufiyan Moqim, and Usman Khan — who joined the T20I squad after a five-day training camp in Karachi. They arrived in Brisbane on 11 November, aiming to add fresh energy and skill to the squad. Australia, led by Josh Inglis, has also made strategic changes, with Tim David and Nathan Ellis joining the T20I lineup, and Josh Philippe stepping in for the injured Cooper Connolly. This series will be the first bilateral T20I face-off between Pakistan and Australia since March 2022, where Australia secured victory in Lahore. In their last T20I series in Australia in 2019, Pakistan faced a 2-0 defeat. Rizwan, who is focused on maintaining high team morale, added, “My intent is to keep everyone in the group involved and positive. The conditions have been favorable to bowlers, but we aim to showcase our strengths as a batting unit and look forward to an exciting contest.”

As both teams prepare, the series promises intense competition and a high-stakes battle as Pakistan aims to continue its winning momentum on Australian soil.

Pakistan T20I squad for Australia T20I series: Mohammad Rizwan (captain – wicket-keeper), Salman Ali Agha (vice-captain), Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Usman Khan

Schedule of matches:

14 Nov – 1st T20I vs Australia; Brisbane Cricket Ground, Brisbane (6pm local time start)

16 Nov – 2nd T20I vs Australia; Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney (7pm local time start)

18 Nov – 3rd T20I vs Australia; Bellerive Oval, Hobart (7pm local time start).

TODAY’S FIXTURE

Australia vs Pakistan

1:00 pm PST