New captain to lead Australia’s T20 team against Pakistan amid absence of Test stars

Melbourne: Australia’s T20 lineup will have a new face at the helm when they take on Pakistan next month, as several Test regulars prepare for their Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against India.

With a clash of schedules, Australian cricket has opted for fresh leadership in the T20 series, leaving the door open for Josh Inglis, Adam Zampa, or Matt Short to lead the squad in place of Mitchell Marsh, who remains unavailable for the series.

The absence of Australia’s Test stars—including Marsh, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Travis Head—creates a unique opportunity for players to take on leadership roles and responsibilities in the T20 format.

The 13-man squad for the T20 games in Brisbane, Sydney, and Hobart will feature players eager to make their mark, with none of the current squad members having captained Australia in any format before.

However, the Cricket Australia Board must ratify the appointment of the stand-in leader before the series begins.

Handling the team will be coach Andre Borovec, who previously led a similar squad against India last year in a T20I series following the ODI World Cup. While head coach Andrew McDonald and regular assistants Michael di Venuto and Dan Vettori will be focusing on the ODI series against Pakistan and then the Tests, Borovec will be assisted by former batter Brad Hodge and ex-New Zealand pacer Hamish Bennett.

“It is particularly encouraging to have Xavier, Spencer and Nathan back in the national setup,” said selection chief George Bailey.

“It’s another opportunity for them to continue to show their ability on the international stage, as they have done in the past.”

The T20 series will also see the return of fast-bowlers Xavier Bartlett, Spencer Johnson, and Nathan Ellis, who were sidelined by injuries during Australia’s limited-overs tour in the UK.

Johnson recently returned to competitive cricket with South Australia, while Bartlett and Ellis, recovering from side and hamstring injuries, are yet to play domestic cricket since their setbacks.

This squad presents opportunities for younger players such as Jake Fraser-McGurk, Cooper Connolly, and Sean Abbott, and promotes Matt Short and Aaron Hardie into elevated roles after their promising performances during the UK tour.

Australia’s T20 series will still have some key white-ball specialists—Adam Zampa, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, and Nathan Ellis—who will be pivotal in steering the team against Pakistan.

The three-match series begins on November 8 and will conclude on November 18, just days before the Australian Test team faces India in Perth.

Australia ODI squad vs Pakistan:

Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Cooper Connolly, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

Australia T20 squad vs Pakistan:

Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa