Australia have opted for a second-string T20I squad for the Pakistan tour, leaving out Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Glenn Maxwell as part of workload management ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026. The selectors have instead turned to the uncapped duo Mahli Beardman and Jack Edwards, rewarding strong Big Bash League (BBL) seasons. Tim David and Nathan Ellis also get some rest before the T20 World Cup, as they won’t travel to Pakistan with the T20I team.
Mitchell Marsh will continue to lead a 17-member group that features only 10 players from Australia’s World Cup squad. The likes of Nathan Ellis, Tim David, Hazlewood, Maxwell and Cummins will skip the Lahore leg and link up directly in Sri Lanka, where Australia begin their final preparations for the global event. This is done due to injury and workload management
The series, scheduled from January 29 to February 1 at Gaddafi Stadium, has been looked at as an audition window rather than a dress rehearsal by Cricket Australia. With several senior players still returning from injuries, chairman of selectors George Bailey admitted the tour was about giving fringe names a proper look before the World Cup doors shut.
Beardman and Edwards earn their shot
Twenty-year-old quick Beardman has been on the selectors’ radar for a while and his eight wickets for Perth Scorchers this season have pushed his case further. Interestingly, it was him who replaced Josh Hazelwood in the last three T20Is against India in October 2025 as well. Hazlewood didn’t play those games as he prepared for the Ashes, which he ultimately missed due to injry.
Jack Edwards, better known as a batting allrounder, has quietly turned into one of the most effective bowlers in the BBL, taking 15 wickets for the Sydney Sixers. He got a lucky break in the IPL 2026 mini auction as well, where the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) picked him up for Rs 3 crore after going on a bidding war against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
They are joined by Sean Abbott, Ben Dwarshuis, Mitch Owen, Josh Phillippe and Matt Renshaw, forming a squad that mixes experience with experiment. Players involved in the BBL finals will join late, meaning the XI for the opening T20I could have a very unfamiliar look.
Australia squad for 3 T20Is vs Pakistan
Mitchell Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Mahli Beardman, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Mitch Owen, Josh Phillippe, Matthew Renshaw, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa
PAK vs AUS T20I schedule
| Date | Match | Teams | Venue | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Jan 29 | 1st Match | Pakistan vs Australia | Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore | 6:30 PM |
| Sat, Jan 31 | 2nd Match | Pakistan vs Australia | Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore | 6:30 PM |
| Sun, Feb 1 | 3rd Match | Pakistan vs Australia | Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore | 6:30 PM |
Australia squad for T20 World Cup 2026
Mitchell Marsh (captain), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Matt Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa
