Last week, Mohammad Rizwan-led Pakistan ended the 22-year wait for an ODI series win on Australian soil. Rizwan's Pakistan overpowered a second-string Australian side in the third ODI to win the series 2-1. Now, he looks to script history by becoming the first Pakistan side to win a T20I series in Australia.
Pakistan have not won a T20I on Australian soil. So far, Pakistan have played four T20Is in Australia. The hosts won three T20Is whereas one ended in no result. Rizwan intends to change that.
"It is fine we have celebrated the ODI series win because no one expected us to win in Australia. But at the same time, all the players must remember they are ambassadors of Pakistan and behave appropriately at all times on tour," Rizwan told his troops in the dressing room ahead of the series opener.
"I think we must all strive to win big titles like the World Cups and Champions Trophy to show everyone what Pakistan cricket is capable of.
"Records of not winning somewhere which have stood for years must be ended.”
Inglis to captain Australia
The T20I series will begin on November 14 at the Gabba, Brisbane. While Pakistan have picked a strong squad for the T20I series including a few newbies, Australia have rested senior players icluding captain Mitchell Marsh who will be busy preparing for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 against India starting on November 22 at Perth Stadium. In Marsh's absence, wicketkeeper-batter Jos Inglis has been named the captain for the series.
Pakistan’s T20I squad
Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (wk), Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan (c & wk), Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Usman Khan
Australia’s T20I squad
Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis (c & wk), Spencer Johnson, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa
