MELBOURNE: Pakistan and Australia are set to clash in the first of a three-match One Day International (ODI) series on Monday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), marking the start of Mohammad Rizwan’s first international outing as Pakistan’s white-ball captain. The match will start at 8:30 AM (Pakistan’s local time).
Pakistan’s tour includes three ODIs and three T20Is, with the second ODI scheduled for November 8 at the Adelaide Oval and the third on November 10 at Perth Stadium. Following the ODI series, both teams will meet again in a three-match T20 series set for November 14, 16, and 18.
The series opener in Melbourne carries added significance for Rizwan, who was named captain of Pakistan’s white-ball squad by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on October 28. As the newly appointed leader of the ODI and T20 teams, Rizwan aims to build on his established reputation as a skilled wicketkeeper-batsman and a key figure in Pakistan’s batting lineup.
For the first ODI, Pakistan has introduced young talents Muhammad Irfan Khan and Saim Ayub to the playing XI. Twenty-one-year-old Irfan, making his ODI debut, has represented Pakistan in T20s and has also made a mark in domestic List-A cricket, with a century and three half-centuries. Meanwhile, left-handed Saim Ayub joins the squad with high expectations.
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Pakistan’s complete lineup for the first ODI includes Abdullah Shafiq, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (captain and wicketkeeper), Kamran Ghulam, Salman Ali Agha, Irfan Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, and Mohammad Hasnain.
Ahead of the series, the Pakistani team has been training intensively at the MCG. According to a PCB spokesperson, the team engaged in rigorous fielding drills, focusing on defensive and catching techniques.
The last bilateral ODI series between Pakistan and Australia was held in March-April 2022 when Pakistan won 2-1 on home soil.
