Pakistan's Return to ODIs Amidst Turmoil

Amid the anticipation of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Australia’s men’s international season kicks off with a white-ball series against Pakistan, featuring three ODIs and T20s beginning Today 04.11 in Melbourne. This series serves as crucial preparation for the hosts ahead of the Champions Trophy, with only a standalone match in Sri Lanka to follow. Australia’s squad remains mostly intact after their 3-2 win over England in September, although adjustments have been made following David Warner's retirement post-World Cup and absences due to paternity leave and injuries, such as Mitchell Marsh, Travis Head, and Cameron Green.

Key figures like Pat Cummins, despite not having played since the World Cup final, will captain and participate in at least two of the three ODIs as Australia carefully manages its pace attack. Although bilateral ODIs have lost some prominence, it’s noteworthy that Pakistan’s last ODI match was almost a year ago. Despite the gap, their off-field drama has been anything but quiet. Babar Azam stepped down as captain, returned briefly, and resigned once more amidst a turbulent year.

Joining Babar on this tour are pace spearheads Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah, while Mohammad Rizwan steps into the captaincy role temporarily. The team, aiming to build momentum ahead of hosting the Champions Trophy, will be coached by Jason Gillespie on an interim basis after Gary Kirsten's short tenure without an ODI match. Gillespie’s involvement, possibly a trial ahead of the Zimbabwe tour, brings him face-to-face with his homeland.

Form Overview  

Australia's recent form reads: WLLWW  

Pakistan's recent record shows: LWWLL

Key Players to Watch:

Jake Fraser-McGurk, eyeing a spot as Travis Head’s partner for the Champions Trophy, returns after a brief international debut earlier this year where he scored 41 runs off 23 balls in two ODIs. Having only played one 50-over match for South Australia this season, this series against Pakistan’s formidable pace attack could test his capabilities. 

Kamran Ghulam, who replaced Babar Azam during the England Test series and made a stellar century on debut, looks to make a fresh ODI start. Although he holds one ODI cap from a game where he was a concussion substitute and did not bat or bowl, facing Australia would be his true initiation into the format.

Team Announcements:

Pat Cummins confirmed the lineup for the first match. While Josh Hazlewood and Cooper Connolly will miss the opener, Lance Morris has been added as a backup bowler. Aaron Hardie, who impressed in England, might be given a chance higher up the batting order.

Australia's XI: 1. Matt Short, 2. Jake Fraser-McGurk, 3. Steven Smith, 4. Josh Inglis (wk), 5. Marnus Labuschagne, 6. Glenn Maxwell, 7. Aaron Hardie, 8. Sean Abbott, 9. Pat Cummins (capt), 10. Mitchell Starc, 11. Adam Zampa.

Pakistan's XI: 1. Saim Ayub, 2. Abdullah Shafique, 3. Babar Azam, 4. Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 5. Kamran Ghulam, 6. Salman Ali Agha, 7. Irfan Khan, 8. Shaheen Shah Afridi, 9. Naseem Shah, 10. Haris Rauf, 11. Mohammad Hasnain.