AUS vs PAK 2024/25, AUS vs PAK 1st T20I Match Preview

Overview: It doesn’t matter, it’s a win

Australia have been lambasted in some quarters for supposedly “not caring” about the ODI format after their shock 2-1 defeat to Pakistan. They field an equally diminished T20I team with three first-choice T20I bowlers, permanent T20 captain Mitchell Marsh and their best T20 opener Travis Head unavailable. This gives Pakistan the chance to complete a rare white-ball series double in Australia, with the same group of fast bowlers minus Mohammad Hasnain expected to be unleashed on the same fragile batting unit in the three-match series starting on Thursday .

But the immediacy of results in T20I cricket is even less important to Australia than the ODI series was. This series is part of the early preparations for the 2026 T20 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics after their experienced group was excluded from the 2024 T20 World Cup during the Super Eight stage.

The winds of change have already blown in the five T20Is they have played in the UK against Scotland and England. Josh Inglis is now the permanent wicketkeeper and will be stand-in captain for this series, as he was for the last ODI in Perth. He is also a key pillar in the top four and looks set to move into No.3 after making a stunning century for Scotland in the position.

Matthew Short and Jake Fraser-McGurk can open together in T20Is for the first time after alternating as Head’s partner in the UK. Fraser-McGurk reached number three in his last T20I in England and made a half-century. He will be much more comfortable in the shorter form than in ODIs, but his method against the new moving, bouncy ball will be tested again by the Pakistan quicks as he vies with Short to be the permanent partner of Head in T20I cricket.

For Pakistan, this will be their first T20I since their Super Eight failure in the T20 World Cup in June. The RizBar style of cricket received intense criticism following this World Cup, with Babar Azam losing the white-ball captaincy to Mohammad Rizwan. Any changes to their style of cricket and long-term planning for 2026 and 2028 were shelved following the resignation of Gary Kirsten with Jason Gillespie in temporary charge. Pakistan did not need to show increased aggression with the bat in the ODI series given that it was won thanks to a superb fast bowling performance. They will no doubt look to replicate that bowling success in the T20I series against a similar Australian top order.

It remains to be seen how they structure the batting with Saim Ayub not named in the squad after opening his last T20I alongside Rizwan and making 82 and 42 in the two ODI victories in Adelaide and Perth. Pakistan also barely used a fifth bowler in the ODI series, but will likely need fifth and sixth options in the T20Is.

Form guide

Australia: LWWWW (Last five matches completed, most recent first)
Pakistan: WWLLL

In the spotlight: Tim David and Babar Azam

Tim David is in an interesting phase of his career. At 28 years old, the T20 pistol for hire has become a finisher of late in what is a brutally difficult role to fill. He remains a key part of Australia’s middle order in the shortest form, but the team hierarchy have identified that he is underutilized at the World Cup and would like to let him face more of the ball for him give more time to prepare before the final overs are bowled. He batted at number five once in the five matches of the recent British tour. He might get an opportunity at that position during this series.

Babar Azam is still the world’s No. 4 T20I batter, but his strike rate has been the center of attention following the World Cup failure. Where he bats in this series remains to be seen, but he will be released. He looked in good touch in the ODI series, but was not under any scoring pressure in those matches. It will be interesting to see if he can step up a gear in the T20Is or if he sticks to his methods.

Team News: Injured Quicks returns for Australia

Australia will have at least three forced changes from their last T20I in September, with Head, Connolly and Cameron Green all unavailable. Glenn Maxwell returns after being rested from the T20I leg of the UK tour. Ellis, Bartlett and Johnson return from injury to join Sean Abbott in the squad. Three of those four will form the rushing attack alongside Adam Zampa, with some rotation likely to occur over the three games.

Australia (probable): 1 Matt Short, 2 Jake Fraser-McGurk, 3 Josh Inglis (captain/week), 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Tim David, 6 Marcus Stoinis, 7 Aaron Hardie, 8 Nathan Ellis/Sean Abbott, 9 Xavier Bartlett, 10 Spencer Johnson, 11 Adam Zampa

Pakistan team: Mohammad Rizwan (captain/week), Abbas Afridi, Agha Salman, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan (week), Irfan Khan, Jahandad Khan, Naseem Shah, Omair Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Usman Khan.

Location and conditions

There has only been one professional match at the Gabba so far this season and it was a WBBL match. This was one of the highest-scoring matches of the season and both teams are expecting a good white-ball pitch with more pace and bounce for the fast bowlers. It will be hot and humid, so the ball will probably swing. There is also a small threat of rain and thunderstorms in the forecast.

Quotes

“T20 cricket is obviously a totally different format, so I guess we’ll learn from the ODI series and the information we’ve gathered about the bowlers and their batters. But it’s a clean slate, a new format. We’re really looking forward to that.”
Josh Inglis on rebounding after ODI series loss