Australia to visit Pakistan for 3-match series in T20 World Cup tune-up
The Australians are set to arrive in Lahore on January 28 for the three-match affair and will leave for India on February 2 for the T20 World Cup.
Australia will fine-tune their preparations for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 with a three-match series in Pakistan just before the marquee tournament begins in India and Sri Lanka.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Wednesday that the Aussies will visit Lahore for a three-T20I series before leaving for the mega-event.
The Kangaroos will play day-night fixtures at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on January 29, 31 and February 1, the PCB announced.
Sumair Ahmed Syed, COO of the PCB, expressed his excitement for the upcoming series.
"We are excited and look forward to hosting Australia for the three-match T20I series here in Lahore. The tour marks a blockbuster beginning of the year for Pakistan Cricket fans and I urge them to turn out in numbers during the series to support both the teams as they put final touches to their T20 World Cup preparations."
While Australia will play their World Cup group games in India, Pakistan will travel to Sri Lanka for their matches.
Ideal WC preparation for both teams
The short tour marks Australia's return to Pakistan after a gap of three years. Australia's last visit to the sub-continent country came in April 2022.
The Australians are set to arrive in Lahore on January 28 for the three-match affair. While the Australians are visiting Pakistan for a bilateral series after three years, it is not their most recent visit to the country. They came to Pakistan last year to play some of their Champions Trophy matches.
Pakistan is one of the few countries left that haven't announced their T20 World Cup squad. The national selectors are set to meet with head coach Mike Hesson and skipper Salman Ali Agha later this week to finalise the squad for the Australia series and the World Cup.
The squad announcement will be made next week after the approval of the PCB chairman, Mohsin Naqvi.
The T20 World Cup 2026, which kicks off on February 7, will feature 20 teams across multiple cities. Pakistan are pooled in Group A, while Australia are placed in Group B.