Pakistan(National Times)- Pakistan won the toss and elected to field in the first T20I of the three-match series against Australia at the Brisbane Cricket Ground, commonly known as the Gabba, on Thursday. Following a rain delay, the fixture has been reduced to seven overs per side, with a two-over powerplay. Two bowlers can bowl two overs, while three bowlers can bowl one over apiece. Just days earlier, the Men in Green celebrated a significant triumph after defeating the Kangaroos in the third and final ODI, clinching the three-match series 2-1. With this win, the Green Shirts marked their first ODI series win on Australian soil in 22 years, with the previous 50-over series victory dating back to 2002. Additionally, it is worth noting that Pakistan are playing their first match since their dismal ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign, which saw them crashing out from the group stage of the tournament for the first time due to their gut-wrenching defeats against the United States and arch-rivals India. Australia, on the other hand, are fresh from a 3-0 routing of Scotland and a 1-1 stalemate against fierce rivals England.
Playing XI
Pakistan: Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (c/wk), Sahibzada Farhan, Usman Khan, Salman Agha, Irfan Khan, Abbas Afridi, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haseebullah Khan, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah
Australia: Jake Fraser-McGurk, Matt Short, Josh Inglis (c/wk), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Aaron Hardie, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Spencer Johnson
