Pakistan face Australia in three-match ODI series on May 30
By Nawaz Gohar : Pakistan and Australia will feature in a three-match ODI series commencing from Saturday, 30 May at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The second ODI will be staged at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Tuesday, 2 June, while the third ODI will be played at the same venue on Thursday, 4 June.
All three ODIs will begin at 4.30pm PKT.
Pakistan will be captained by Shaheen Shah Afridi, while the tourists will be led by Josh Inglis. The first ODI at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium will be Pakistan’s 1,000th ODI. Pakistan, who played their first ODI against New Zealand in Christchurch in 1973, have so far played 999 ODI matches, winning 527 and losing 442. Nine matches ended in a tie, while 21 matches ended with no result.
In the head-to-head record, third-ranked Australia have played 111 ODIs against fifth-ranked Pakistan. Pakistan have won 36 matches, while Australia have emerged victorious on 71 occasions. Three matches ended with no result, while one match was tied.
Pakistan have won each of the last two bilateral ODI series between the sides by a 2-1 margin. Australia toured Pakistan for a three-match ODI series in 2022, which the hosts won 2-1. Then in November 2024, Pakistan toured Australia for a three-match ODI series, which the visitors won 2-1.
Talking to PCB Digital on the eve of the series, Shaheen Shah Afridi said:
“The first ODI in Rawalpindi will be a special occasion as it marks Pakistan’s 1,000th ODI. It is an important milestone in our cricket history and we would like to celebrate it with a strong performance against Australia.
“Australia are one of the strongest teams in world cricket and contests between the two sides have always been highly competitive. Our preparations for the series have been good. The players have worked hard during the training camp and everyone is eager to contribute towards the team’s success. We have a talented group that combines experience with exciting young players.
“We have enjoyed success against Australia in the last two bilateral ODI series and that gives us confidence, but we understand that every series presents a new challenge. Our focus is on executing our plans well and maintaining consistency throughout the three matches.
“Playing at Rawalpindi and Lahore is always special because of the passionate support we receive from the fans. Their encouragement motivates us to give our best on the field and we hope to provide them with an entertaining brand of cricket.”
Broadcast details:
For the first time, the PCB will live-stream the matches on PCB’s OTT platform “PCB Live” in Pakistan. More details on PCB OTT platform is available here. The three ODIs will also be broadcast live on PTV Sports across the country.
Fans can also witness the action on “PCB Live” in Europe, UK, North America, Caribbean and Africa. For viewers abroad, Fox Sports (Australia), T Sports and Tapmad (Bangladesh), Willow (North America), Cricbuzz (MENA) and Dialog (Sri Lanka) will broadcast the action.
The commentary panel will feature former Test captains Aamir Sohail and Ramiz Raja, who will be joined by former Test cricketer Bazid Khan and former Pakistan women’s captain Urooj Mumtaz. Former Australia Test batter Greg Blewett will also be part of the commentary team. Zainab Abbas is set to present the PCB’s famous PitchSide Studio during the pre- and post-match shows for all three matches of the series.
16-member squad: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Salman Ali Agha (vice-captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Maaz Sadaqat, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Rohail Nazir (wicket-keeper), Sahibzada Farhan, Shadab Khan, Shamyl Hussain and Sufyan Moqim
