Rapid-fire game to be played at the Gabba after lightning delayed play in the first Australia-Pakistan T20I

Pakistan will bowl first in a seven-over per side match after a two-and-half hour delay in Brisbane.

During the lengthy delay due to lightning in the Woolloongabba area, the rainfall was minimal.

Yet a healthy crowd stuck around and were finally given something to cheer about when umpires emerged from their dressing room at 7:57pm local time and summoned the groundstaff to remove the covers.

Australia XI: Matt Short, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Josh Inglis (c, wk), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, Aaron Hardie, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Spencer Johnson

 

Pakistan XI: Muhammad Rizwan (c/wk), Babar Azam, Sahibzada Farhan, Usman Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Irfan Khan, Abbas Afridi, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haseebullah Khan, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf

The Powerplay will be two overs long and two bowlers from each side will be able to bowl two overs, will the rest will only bowl one.

All eyes will be on Australia’s top order as the home side looks to recover from two humbling losses in the ODI series.

Stand-in skipper Josh Inglis said the onus was on the batters to make amends in the 20-over matches after being bowled out in just 35 and 31.5 overs in the final two 50-over matches.

“They were big losses, and it’s probably not something we’re very used to,” Inglis said on Wednesday.

“To be honest, the batting group didn’t score enough runs, and that’s on us to rectify that this week.”

A host of first-choice players are missing from the Australian XI with preparations for the Border-Gavaskar Test series well underway.

Pakistan, following their tremendous performance in the ODIs, have a vastly different squad for the T20s.

Captain Mohammad Rizwan moves up to open alongside Babar Azam, while four others come into the XI.

Rizwan gave credit to coach Jason Gillespie on match eve, who was drafted in as the side’s mentor at late notice.

“He’s very good, he’s very positive,” Rizwan said of Gillespie on Wednesday.

“He keeps everything very calm, so that’s a very good thing for the pavilion.”

Queensland-contracted players Hugh Weibgen and Hugo Burdon are listed as substitute fielders tonight.

Stand-in skipper Josh Inglis, who becomes the 14th man to captain Australia in T20s, said the onus was on the batters to make amends in the 20-over matches after being bowled out in just 35 and 31.5 overs in the final two 50-over matches.

“They were big losses, and it’s probably not something we’re very used to,” Inglis said on Wednesday.

“To be honest, the batting group didn’t score enough runs, and that’s on us to rectify that this week.”

Australia v Pakistan T20Is 2024

November 14: Gabba, 7.00pm AEDT

November 16: SCG: 7.00pm AEDT

November 18: Bellerive Oval, Hobart, 7.00pm AEDT

All matches live and exclusive on Fox Cricket and Kayo Sports

Australia T20 squad: Josh Inglis (c), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Spencer Johnson, Glenn Maxwell, Josh Philippe, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

Pakistan T20 squad: Muhammad Rizwan (c), Abbas Afridi, Agha Salman, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan, Irfan Khan, Jahandad Khan, Naseem Shah, Omair Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Usman Khan.