Table of Contents

The World Cup-winning captain for Australia, Pat Cummins, has confirmed that playing eleven for the opening of the three-match one-day international series against Pakistan, which will start on November 04 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). It’s the start of the 2024-25 home summer for the side in the Victoria capitals.

Australia has decided to hand over another ODI game to the right-handed sensational opening batter Jake Fraser-McGurk, who caught the attention of the world with his supreme time in the IPL 2024 for the Delhi Capitals. The 22-year-old has smashed 330 runs in nine innings at an average of over 36 and a strike rate of more than 234 with the help of four half-centuries.

Even in the List-A career, the opener has grabbed 527 runs in 19 innings at an average of 31 and a strike rate of more than 140, shouldering on one half-century and century at a best score of 125 runs. In the two ODIs he has featured in, the batter smacked 41 runs in just 18 balls against West Indies at the Manuka Oval in Canberra.

Also Read: Australia Confirms Schedule For Sri Lanka Trip In 2025; To Play 2 Tests and One-off ODI

The all-rounder of Australia, Aaron Hardie, has been slotted in the playing eleven, while the pacer Sean Abbott is getting a run in the absence of the New South Wales team-mate Josh Hazlewood, who is currently playing the ongoing Sheffield Shield match against Queensland in Sydney.

Australia keeps quality in their bowling line-up for the opening game of the home summer

Hardie has been featured in eight ODIs so far for Australia, recording 98 runs at a strike rate of over 100 and picking up seven scalps at an average of 29.42. The 32-year-old pacer has been part of 24 games in the 50-over format, where he has smacked 309 runs at an average of 20.60 and bagged 28 scalps at an average of 37.82.

“What’s great with the T20s and some of the one-day squads recently is seeing some of those new players get opportunities and do well. And a few of us older blokes are still hanging on.” The Australia captain of the 50-over format, Pat Cummins, expressed this at the pre-match press conference in Melbourne.

“Jake (Fraser-McGurk) and Aaron Hardie, and these sort of guys in their early 20s feel like one generation kind of past me. It’s always nice to see what they’re up to.” The veteran pacer highlighted.

Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh, both of whom opened the batting against England in the previous ODI series, have been given a break due to paternity leave, which means Matthew Short is going to open the batting. The right-handed batter has smashed 153 runs in six innings of the format at a strike rate of over 105 but a struggling average of 25.50.

Steve Smith, who has powered 5583 runs in the ODI format for Australia at an average of over 43 and a strike rate of 87.61 in 147 innings, is going to bat at the number three position, while Marnus Labuschagne having belted 1756 runs in 51 innings of the 50-over format at an average of over 37 is slotted at the fifth position in the department.

Also Read: ICC To Favor Pakistan Players? Ready To Increase Salaries In 2024-25 Central Contract

The bowling line-up of the Australia side is packed with quality, led by the captain Cummins, the left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc, and the leg-spinner Adam Zampa. The spin all-rounder Adam Zampa is also expected to have a few over with the ball in hand.

Australia XI for the 1st ODI vs Pakistan

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