Toss Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat first against Australia
Pakistan have won the toss and elected to bat first against Australia. In the first of three T20Is in Lahore ahead of the T20I World Cup, Salman Ali Agha opted to set a target, with the early start ensuring dew is unlikely to be a factor. Shaheen Shah Afridi returns to the side for the first time since picking up a knee ligament injury in the Big Bash League, with Salman Mirza the only other seam bowler. Babar Azam is in the side after an indifferent BBL, slotted in at number three.
Australia line up with a new-look side captained by Travis Head. There are three debutants in the side, with batter Matt Renshaw, seam bowling allrounder Jack Edwards and fast bowler Mahli Beardman making their T20I debuts.
Australia have only ever played one T20I in Pakistan, which they won in April 2022.
Pakistan: 1 Sahibzada Farhan, 2 Saim Ayub, 3 Babar Azam, 4 Salman Agha (capt), 5 Fakhar Zaman, 6 Shadab Khan, 7 Usman Khan (wk), 8 Mohammad Nawaz, 9 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 10 Salman Mirza, 11 Abrar Ahmed
Australia: 1 Travis Head (capt), 2 Matt Short, 3 Cameron Green, 4 Matt Renshaw, 5 Cooper Connolly, 6 Mitchell Owen, 7 Josh Philippe (wk), 8 Jack Edwards, 9 Xavier Bartlett, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Mahli Beardman
