Even as uncertainty continued over Pakistan’s participation in the T20 World Cup next month, Australia’s T20I team led by Mitchell Marsh arrived in Lahore on Wednesday for a three-match series against Pakistan.The series is seen as Pakistan’s last warm-up before the T20 World Cup, but it is still unclear whether the team will get government approval to play in the tournament, which begins on February 7.Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said after meeting Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that all options remain open and that a final decision will be taken either on Friday or next Monday.
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Pakistan has protested the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) decision to replace Bangladesh with Scotland in the T20 World Cup. Bangladesh were removed after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the country’s caretaker government announced that the team would not travel to India for matches due to security concerns.Despite the situation, Pakistan named their World Cup squad of 20 teams. With one change, the team is the same as the one selected against Australia. Fast bowler Muhammad Wasim Jr has been left out of the World Cup squad but will be available for the series against Australia.Australia arrived in Lahore without several senior players, including Pat Cummins. Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Glenn Maxwell, Tim David and Nathan Ellis were all rested for the Pakistan series to recover from injuries ahead of the World Cup.The Australian squad touring Pakistan for the first time since mid-2022 still includes the likes of Travis Head, Cameron Green and Josh Inglis, all of whom featured in the Ashes.Team Australia: Mitch Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Mahli Beardman, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Matthew Kuhnemann, Mitch Owen, Josh Philippe (wk), Matthew Renshaw, Matt Short, Marcus Stonis, Adam Zampa
