Pak eye rare double series win in Aus

Rizwan's men have already defeated the Aussies in ODIs, 2-1

Australia have been lambasted in some quarters for supposedly "not caring" about the ODI format following their shock 2-1 loss to Pakistan. They are fielding an equally diminished T20I side with three first-choice T20I bowlers, the permanent T20 captain Mitchell Marsh and their best T20 opener Travis Head unavailable.

It gives Pakistan the chance to complete a rare white-ball series double in Australia, with the same set of fast bowlers minus Mohammad Hasnain set to be unleashed on the same fragile batting unit in the three-match series starting Thursday.

But the immediacy of results in T20I cricket are of even less importance to Australia than the ODI series was. This series is part of the early build-up towards the 2026 T20 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics after their experienced group was bounced out of the 2024 T20 World Cup in the Super Eight phase.

The winds of change have already swept through during the five T20Is they played in the UK against Scotland and England. Josh Inglis is now the permanent wicketkeeper and will be stand-in captain for this series, as he was for the final ODI in Perth. He is also key pillar in the top four and looks set to bat at No. 3 after making a stunning century in Scotland in that position.

Matthew Short and Jake Fraser-McGurk get to open together in T20Is for the first time having alternated as Head's partner in the UK. Fraser-McGurk batted at No. 3 in his last T20I in England and made a half-century. He will be far more comfortable in the shorter form than he was in the ODIs but his method against the moving and bouncing new ball will be tested again by Pakistan's quicks as he vies with Short to be Head's permanent partner in T20I cricket.

Nathan Ellis and Xavier Bartlett will make long-awaited returns from injury and get a chance alongside Spencer Johnson to bed down a place in Australia's next generation T20 attack. Cooper Connolly won't get the opportunity to play his first T20I at home after breaking his hand in the Perth ODI. Josh Philippe comes into the squad. For Pakistan, it will be their first T20I since failing to make the Super Eight at the T20 World Cup in June. The RizBar style of cricket received intense criticism in the wake of that World Cup with Babar Azam losing the white-ball captaincy to Mohammad Rizwan.

After leading Pakistan to a drought-ending series victory, Rizwan expressed confidence that if his team plays as a unit then it has every chance to not only beat Australia in the upcoming T20I series but to whitewash them.

"No one was hoping that the team would beat Australia in Australia. We played like a unit and if we keep doing that, we will whitewash them in T20Is," Rizwan told the players in a dressing room speech, released by the Pakistan Cricket Board on Tuesday.

He further urged the players to chase bigger goals like Champions Trophy, World Cups and Olympic medals.

"It is fine we have celebrated the ODI series win because no one expected us to win in Australia. But at the same time all the players must remember they are ambassadors of Pakistan and behave appropriately at all times on tour," Rizwan stated.

"I think we must all strive to win big titles like the World Cups and Champions Trophy to show everyone what Pakistan cricket is capable of," he added.

The wicketkeeper batter then termed the ODI series victory over Australia a great source of learning before vowing to create history in whichever country the team tours in future.

It is pertinent to mention that the first T20I between Pakistan and Australia is scheduled to take place on November 14 here at The Gabba.

The second T20I will be played on November 16 at the Sydney Cricket Ground, followed by the final fixture on November 18 at Bellerive Oval, Hobart.

Pakistan's T20I squad for Australia tour: Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, and Usman Khan.