Pakistan, Australia Ready for White Ball Battle in Lahore and Rawalpindi
LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday unveiled the itinerary for Australia’s upcoming three-match ODI series in Pakistan, scheduled to take place later this month.
Australia’s squad is set to land in Islamabad on 23 May before the first ODI at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on 30 May.
After the series opener, both teams will move to Lahore, where the remaining two fixtures will be staged at the Gaddafi Stadium on 2 and 4 June. Each match will start at 4:30pm local time, while the toss will take place half an hour earlier.
Once the Pakistan leg concludes, Australia will head to Bangladesh for a limited-overs assignment featuring ODIs and T20Is from 9 June.
Australia, however, are unlikely to field a full-strength white-ball squad in Pakistan due to overlapping commitments with the Indian Premier League (IPL). While the league stage ends on 24 May, the IPL final is scheduled for 31 May in Ahmedabad.
Cricketers whose franchises fail to make the playoffs may still become available for the Pakistan series. Mitch Marsh and Josh Inglis of Lucknow Super Giants, along with Cameron Green from Kolkata Knight Riders, are among the players who could join the squad earlier.
On the other hand, Cooper Connolly, Xavier Bartlett and Ben Dwarshuis from Punjab Kings, as well as Matthew Short of Chennai Super Kings, may only link up with the national side ahead of the Bangladesh tour if their IPL teams remain in contention.
Reports also suggest regular ODI captain Pat Cummins, together with premier fast bowlers Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, will sit out both the Pakistan and Bangladesh tours.
Travis Head is another notable absentee expected to focus on Australia’s preparations for their home Test series against Bangladesh later this year.
With Cummins unavailable, Mitch Marsh is considered a leading contender to captain Australia in the ODI series, particularly if Lucknow Super Giants fail to qualify for the IPL playoffs. Josh Inglis is also being discussed as a possible stand-in skipper.
The series will mark Australia’s first ODI tour of Pakistan since 2022, when Pakistan claimed a 2-1 series win on home soil.
Earlier this year, Australia toured Pakistan for a T20I series, where the hosts secured a dominant 3-0 victory in Lahore. The visitors also featured in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan, including a five-wicket win over England at the Gaddafi Stadium in February.
Series schedule:
23 May – Australia arrive in Islamabad
30 May – First ODI, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium
2 June – Second ODI, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
4 June – Third ODI, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
