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World Cup doubts loom as Pakistan faces Australia in T20s
28 Jan
Summary
- Pakistan's World Cup participation decision due Friday or Monday.
- Team captain stresses series importance for World Cup preparation.
- Australia arrives without key players but ready for tune-up games.
Pakistan is scheduled to compete against Australia in a three-match Twenty20 International series, commencing on January 29, 2026, in Lahore. This series proceeds despite significant doubts surrounding Pakistan's participation in the upcoming World Cup. The chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Mohsin Naqvi, is expected to announce the final decision regarding the World Cup on either Friday or Monday.
The uncertainty stems from Pakistan's protest against the International Cricket Council's rejection of Bangladesh's request to relocate their matches away from India due to security concerns. Consequently, Scotland will replace Bangladesh in the 20-team event. Despite these issues, the Pakistan team is actively preparing, with captain Salman Agha highlighting the series against Australia as crucial for assessing their World Cup preparedness.
A 17-member Australian squad, led by Mitchell Marsh, arrived in Lahore on January 28, 2026. Australia is managing the workload of some players and dealing with injuries to key individuals such as Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood. Marsh acknowledged the importance of this series for both teams' World Cup preparations, noting the similar conditions and the quality of the opposition.
