Australia have suffered a big blow as their young gun Cooper Connolly has been ruled out of the upcoming T20I series against Pakistan due to a hand injury.
Australia's Cooper Connolly ruled out of T20I series against Pakistan
During the third ODI against Pakistan, Connolly sustained a fracture to his left hand after being hit by a delivery from Mohammad Hasnain. The 21-year-old will consult with a specialist on Monday, November 11 to determine the extent of the injury and the recovery timeline.
Cricket Australia will announce a replacement for Cooper Connolly in the upcoming T20I series against Pakistan. The three-match T20I series is set to begin on November 14 at The Gabba in Brisbane. The remaining matches will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground on November 16 and the Bellerive Oval in Hobart on November 18.
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The Australia-Pakistan ODI series kicked off with a thrilling two-wicket win for the hosts at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Pat Cummins played a crucial role in Australia's victory with a commendable all-round performance. However, the momentum shifted in favor of Pakistan in the second ODI at Adelaide Oval.
Australia, batting first, were bundled out for a paltry 163 runs. Haris Rauf's impressive five-wicket haul dismantled the Australian batting order, leading to a comprehensive nine-wicket victory for Pakistan.
The Australian team's struggles continued in the third and final ODI against Pakistan. They were bowled out for a meager total of 140 runs in Perth. Pakistan chased down the target comfortably, winning the match by eight wickets with 23.1 overs to spare.
Australia's T20I squad for Pakistan series:
Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa
Schedule for Australia vs Pakistan's T20I Series:
First T20I: November 14, Brisbane
Second T20I: November 16, Sydney
Third T20I: November 18, Hobart
After playing the three-match T20I series, Australia will move to their biggest assignment of 2024, i.e Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series against India, which is set to start from November 22.
ALSO READ: Mohammad Rizwan makes perfect debut as captain, leads Pakistan to series win on Australian soil after 22 years as pacers reign supreme in Perth
Australia Test squad for Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India:
Pat Cummins (captain), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Nathan McSweeney, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc.
