Pakistan and Australia will lock horns in the first ODI of their three-match series at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
Pakistan had hosted the Aussies earlier this year for a T20I series, which the host swept 3-0. Pakistan also won the last ODI series it played against Australia, bagging the three-match series 2-1 in November 2024 down under.
The host will fancy its chances yet again as Australia has decided to field an understrength team for the series. The pace trio of Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc have been rested for workload management reasons, while Travis Head also misses out due to his recent involvement in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Mitchell Marsh has been ruled out of the series due to an ankle injury, and Josh Inglis will lead the tourists in the three matches. Cooper Connolly, who was initially not named in the squad, will replace Marsh for the last two ODIs.
Meanwhile, Pakistan, led by Shaheen Afridi, has at its disposal a full-strength side, which includes Babar Azam, who returns after being dropped for the ODIs in Bangladesh earlier this year. Pacer Naseem Shah and all-rounder Shadab Khan will also look to make the most of their comeback to the national team in the 50-over format.
Pakistan, which lost to Bangladesh 2-1 in its most recent ODI series, has axed veteran wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan. Ghazi Ghori, who has played just one ODI, has stepped in for Rizwan for this series.
PAK vs AUS, 1st ODI – Match Details
When will the first ODI between Pakistan and Australia take place?
The first ODI between Pakistan and Australia will be held on Saturday, May 30.
Where will the first ODI between Pakistan and Australia be played?
The first ODI between Pakistan and Australia will take place at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
At what time will the first ODI between Pakistan and Australia start?
The first ODI between Pakistan and Australia will begin at 5 PM IST. The toss will take place at 4:30 PM IST.
Where to watch the live telecast of the first ODI between Pakistan and Australia?
The first ODI between Pakistan and Australia will not be televised live in India on any TV channel.
Where to watch the live stream of the first ODI between Pakistan and Australia?
The first ODI between Pakistan and Australia is likely to be live-streamed in India on the Sports TV YouTube channel.
THE SQUADS
Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Maaz Sadaqat, Babar Azam, Salman Agha, Abdul Samad, Ghazi Ghori (wk), Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi (c), Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed, Rohail Nazir, Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Sufyan Moqim, Shamyl Hussain.
Australia: Matthew Short, Josh Inglis (c), Marnus Labuschagne, Matt Renshaw, Alex Carey (wk), Cameron Green, Liam Scott, Nathan Ellis, Riley Meredith, Adam Zampa, Billy Stanlake, Matthew Kuhnemann, Tanveer Sangha, Oliver Peake.
Published on May 30, 2026
