Pakistan Ready for T20I Clash Against Australia at Gaddafi Stadium

Lahore, 28 January 2026: Pakistan will face Australia in a three-match T20I series at the Gaddafi Stadium. The visitors return to the country after their participation in the ICC Champions Trophy last year.

The first ball of each match is scheduled for 4 PM PKT with the coin toss taking place at 3:30 PM on game day. The Australian squad, led by Mitchell Marsh, arrived in Pakistan on Wednesday and consists of 17 players. Among them are Jack Edwards, Josh Philippe, Mahli Beardman, Matthew Kuhnemann, and Xavier Bartlett, who are making their first trip to the country.

Pakistan’s squad, comprising 16 players including captain Salman Ali Agha, convenes in Lahore and has been preparing for the series with training sessions and a simulated T20 match on Monday. Two of Pakistan’s top performers, Babar Azam (the leading run-scorer in T20I history) and Shaheen Shah Afridi (second-leading wicket-taker), are back after missing the Sri Lanka series earlier in January.

Pakistan has played 28 bilateral T20Is against Australia since their first match at Johannesburg on September 18, 2007. Pakistan leads with 12 wins and holds a slight edge over Australia with 14 wins, including one victory at the Gaddafi Stadium in April 2022.

In three bilateral series, Pakistan won matches in 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2018. Australia secured their series victories on five occasions against Pakistan.

Pakistan’s captain, Salman Ali Agha, commented: “We have prepared really well for this series in the previous ten days. No weak opponents exist in T20 cricket; our focus is to execute our plans and play smart quality cricket.”

Australia’s captain Mitchell Marsh added: “I’m excited to be here as this series will serve as ideal preparation for the World Cup. Pakistan have a strong tradition of fast bowling, which I look forward to facing Shaheen Shah Afridi. Winning away from home is always challenging, but it makes for an exciting test.”

Pakistan’s 16-man squad includes:
– Salman Ali Agha (captain)
– Abrar Ahmed
– Babar Azam
– Faheem Ashraf
– Fakhar Zaman
– Mohammad Nawaz
– Mohammad Salman Mirza
– Mohammad Wasim Jnr
– Naseem Shah
– Sahibzada Farhan
– Saim Ayub
– Shaheen Shah Afridi
– Shadab Khan
– Usman Khan (wk)
– Usman Tariq

Support personnel include:
– Naveed Akram Cheema (team manager)
– Mike Hesson (head coach)
– Ashley Noffke (bowling coach)
– Shane McDermott (fielding coach)
– Hanif Malik (batting coach)
– Cliffe Deacon (physiotherapist)
– Grant Luden (strength and conditioning coach)
– Talha Ejaz (performance analyst)
– Syed Naeem Ahmed (media manager)
– Lt. Col. Usman Anwari (security manager)
– Dr Wajid Ali Rafai (team doctor)
– Dr Raheel Karim (psychiatrist)
– Muhammad Ehsan (masseur)

The series schedule is as follows:
1st T20I: Thursday, 29 January – 4 PM PKT
2nd T20I: Saturday, 31 January – 4 PM PKT
3rd T20I: Sunday, 1 February – 4 PM PKT