Australia completed their last T20 World Cup preparation by playing Pakistan in a three-match T20 series. The first T20 match started on Thursday at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

Travis Head Leads Australia
The Pakistan team won the toss and selected to bat first, while Australia began their bowling match. The Australian team made a significant adjustment to their lineup because their regular captain Mitchell Marsh could not play. The team selected aggressive opener Travis Head to serve as their new captain for the upcoming series.

Three Debutants in Action
Australia made a daring decision by starting three players who had never played for the national team before. Mahli Beardman, Jack Edwards, and Matt Rensha played their first international T20 matches. The players received their selection because of their impressive performances throughout the completed Big Bash League season. The Australian T20 World Cup 2026 squad does not include these three particular players. The match also missed other prominent players such as Glenn Maxwell, Tim David, and Nathan Ellis.

Playing XI – First T20: Pakistan vs Australia

Australia: The team consists of Travis Head as captain and Matthew Short and Cameron Green and Matt Rensha and Cooper Connolly and Mitchell Owen and Josh Philippe and Jack Edwards and Xavier Bartlett and Adam Zampa and Mahli Beardman.

Pakistan:Sahibzada Farhan and Syed Ayub and Babar Azam and Salman Agha and Fakhar Zaman and Usman Khan and Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz and Shaheen Afridi and Salman Mirza and Abrar Ahmed.

The match enables both teams to assess their developing players and upcoming potential team leaders while they prepare for the T20 World Cup 2026 tournament.