The Australian team, which is touring Pakistan almost 24 years later, has announced an 18-member squad for the Test series. According to Cricket Australia, Pat Cummins will be the captain and Steve Smith the vice-captain, while this is Australia’s first overseas Test tour in almost three years. The three-match Test series between the two countries will start on March 4.
Australian 18-member Test squad for Pakistan tour
Pat Cummins (c), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Michael Neser, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, and David Warner.
Cricket Australia says the squad for the ODI and T20 series will be announced later. The Australian team will arrive in Islamabad on February 27. Australia last visited Pakistan in 1998 but the 24-year wait will end on March 4. It may be recalled that the Australian team has been avoiding the tour of Pakistan since the war in Afghanistan after 9/11 on September 11, 2001, and the attack on the bus of the Sri Lankan team in 2009.
Schedule:
- The first Test will be played in Rawalpindi between March 4 and 8
- The second Test will be played in Karachi between March 12 and 16
- The third Test will be played in Lahore between March 21 and 25
ODI and T20
The first ODI of the series will be played in Rawalpindi on March 29, the second on March 31 and the third on April 2. While the only T20 will also be played in Rawalpindi on April 5.
