Cricket Australia (CA) has announced the 13-member men’s T20I squad for the home T20I series against Pakistan. However, there is a special catch in the squad announcement.

After the completion of the three-match home ODI series against Pakistan, which will run between November 4 and 10, Australia will also host a three-match T20I series against Pakistan. 

All the Test players have been rested for the home T20I series against Pakistan, as the five-match home Test series against India will begin on November 22. It means that Pat Cummins along with recent T20I captains Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head are not included in the T20I squad. 

Who will lead Australia T20I team?

In the 13-member T20I squad, the CA hasn’t announced the captain’s name yet. It will be announced closer to the start of the T20I series.

In the squad, there are some significant names with BBL captaincies. Glenn Maxwell, Adam Zampa, Matthew Short, and Aaron Hardie all have BBL captaincy experiences. Meanwhile, Perth Scorchers’ vice-captain Josh Inglis is also popular for his strong tactics.

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Injured players returning

Talking about the T20I returnees, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, and Spencer Johnson have been named in the T20I squad. While Johnson has returned to domestic cricket after recovering from his injury, Bartlett and Ellis are still in the recovery process from the side strain and hamstring injuries, respectively. Both Bartlett and Ellis are expected to fit in before the beginning of the T20I series.

The three-match T20I series against Pakistan will begin on November 14 at Brisbane. Sydney and Hobert will host the other two T20Is on November 16 and 18, respectively. 

Matthew Wade can join the coaching staff

Australia will have a different coaching staff for the upcoming T20I series against Pakistan. Assistant coach Andre Borovec will play the head coach role in the T20I series, while Brad Hodge will be the assistant coach. Matthew Wade, who also led the Australian T20I side last February and is still officially active in international cricket, is likely to join the coaching team for the T20I series. 

Head coach Andrew McDonald, batting coach Michael Di Venuto, and bowling coach Daniel Vettori will be on a short break during this T20I series. They will join the team before the opening Test against India in Perth. 

Australian T20I squad against 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