Australia captainless for Pakistan T20I series as Babar Azam rests for Tests

Australia have decided to rest all of their key Test players for the upcoming T20I series against Pakistan. Cricket Australia has not yet named a captain for the series, with Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head among the players being given a break. Both Marsh and Head have recent experience leading the team in this format. The series is scheduled to take place from November 14 to 18.

The five-match Test series against India begins just four days after the third T20I on November 22 in Perth. This means that the likes of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Steve Smith, Cameron Green, Marsh and Head are all absent from the squad for the T20Is.

The senior players in the squad, who could potentially captain them in the three-match series, are Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa, Josh Inglis and Matt Short. Fast bowling all-rounder Aaron Hardie, meanwhile, had also captained in the Big Bash League but he has only made 10 T20I appearances thus far, in addition to playing eight ODI matches.

Meanwhile, Pakistan announced a full-strength squad with wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan as their new white-ball captain. Assistant coach Azhar Mahmood had stated before the start of their second Test against England that they had rested the likes of Babar Azam and pacers Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah to ensure that they were fresh for their upcoming white-ball tour of Australia. All three players are available for the ODIs and T20Is.

The first ODI will be played in Melbourne on November 4, after which the second ODI will be hosted in Adelaide on November 8. The third match will be played in Perth on November 10. The T20I series then begins in Brisbane on November 14, followed by the second T20I in Sydney on November 16. The tour ends with the third T20I in Hobart on November 18.