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Australia and Pakistan will lock horns in the first game of the three-match ODI series on Tuesday, March 29. The Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore will host the encounter.
After two drawn Tests in Rawalpindi and Karachi, the Aussies won the third and final Test at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The ODIs were earlier scheduled to take place at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, but due to political reasons surrounding former all-rounder Imran Khan’s party, the matches had to be shifted to Lahore.
The Aussies earlier named a depleted squad for the limited-overs series against Pakistan. The pace bowling trio of Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, who all participated in the Tests, won’t be a part of the white-ball games. Kane Richardson was also ruled out of the series after suffering a hamstring injury during a training session.
Jason Behrendorff, who has played 11 games for the Aussies, has been called up to replace Richardson. Steve Smith has also backed out of the series after showing concerns over his elbow. Mitchell Swepson, who made his Test debut earlier this month, has been called up.
Mitchell Marsh, who’s been a critical part of Australia’s limited-overs batting, has been suffering from a hip flexor injury that he sustained during a fielding drill before the series. Marsh is also scheduled to play for the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL).
Pakistan, on the other hand, will be a tad low on confidence after losing the Lahore Test. But their form in limited-overs cricket has been more than decent. They won five matches in the T20I World Cup before losing to the Aussies in the semi-final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Thereafter, Pakistan defeated Bangladesh and West Indies in the bilateral series. Their players are also fresh off playing in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). Babar Azam and Co. will be looking to make amends after losing the Test series 0-1.
Will Australia (AUS) beat Pakistan (PAK)?
Pakistan have a strong squad at their disposal and are a tough side to beat at home. The Aussies, on the contrary, won’t have quite a few of their star players for the series.
The hosts will thus fancy their chances against the Aussies and are favorites to win the opening ODI.
Prediction: Pakistan to win the match.
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