Last Updated on 54 minutes ago by Charbel Coorey
Australia are back in action for the first time since their disappointing 2026 T20 World Cup campaign, taking on Pakistan in the first of three ODIs starting May 30. It is an opportunity for fringe players to put their case forward for regular selection in the future, with an eye to next year’s World Cup.
Australia are missing experienced players Travis Head, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, all of whom featured in the Indian Premier League. Also, Mitchell Marsh is out due to an ankle injury, with Josh Inglis replacing him as captain for this series, as reported by CODE Sports.
Australia squad for the 2026 Pakistan ODI series: Josh Inglis (c), Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Riley Meredith, Oliver Peake, Matthew Renshaw, Tanveer Sangha, Liam Scott, Matt Short, Billy Stanlake, Adam Zampa
Australia possible 11 for 1st ODI against Pakistan at Rawalpindi:
1. Josh Inglis (c), 2. Matt Short, 3. Marnus Labuschagne, 4. Cameron Green, 5. Matt Renshaw, 6. Alex Carey (wk), 7. Liam Scott, 8. Nathan Ellis, 9. Matt Kuhnemann, 10. Adam Zampa, 11. Billy Stanlake
The make up of the Australian XI will be interesting to see. There is the option of four specialist bowlers with Liam Scott, Cameron Green, Matt Renshaw and Matt Short making up the fifth bowler. As a result, there may be no room straight away for young gun Oliver Peake, depending on how Australia shape their XI and which batters get the nod.
“We’ve always gone with four frontline (bowlers) and then the allrounders pick that (fifth bowler’s load) up,” said coach Andrew McDonald earlier this month. Also, the coach hinted Australia will look to ease Peake in.
“Let’s just be patient. Understand international cricket is difficult and he’s taking a significant leap up. I don’t want to compare it to the Sam [situation], all I’m saying is we sort of asked [the media] for a bit of patience around Sam,” McDonald said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
“He was entering into Test cricket, and Sammy will come again. This may be a case here that Peakey gets an opportunity and then has a long break out of international cricket and then comes back in.”
If Australia drop a specialist bowler, i.e. Matt Kuhnemann or Billy Stanlake, for Peake, Josh Inglis will then be relying more on the all-rounders to make up the overs on a historically batting-friendly ground. The better call for team balance could be to leave one of Matt Short or Marnus Labuschagne out. Cameron Green having extra rest after the IPL is another option.
On Green, Australia are considering using the all-rounder as a finisher in ODIs. Glenn Maxwell’s retirement has left a hole in this regard, and the current world champions must plug this gap.
“It’s really where we position him and what role we want him to play, because I think he’s got the ability to really play high up the order and low,” said McDonald, as quoted by cricket.com.au.
“He does have some power, we saw in that Top End series last year against South Africa, his ability to finish off that innings in the absence of Glenn Maxwell. So we had that conversation.
“We keep these things open – experiment is not the right word – but we’ll look at different ways to play in the journey to the 2027 World Cup and where he fits exactly in that.”
