RAWALPINDI: Australia’s stand-in captain Josh Inglis has opined that despite the absence of leading fast bowlers including regular skipper Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, Pakistan will be favored in the upcoming three-match ODI series.
The series opener will be played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Saturday, while the remaining two ODIs will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on June 2 and June 4 respectively.
Speaking at the pre-series media conference, Inglis defended Australia’s pace resources and highlighted the depth and quality in the touring squad while voicing confidence in the visitors’ bowling attack ahead of the ODIs.
“I’m not going to say whether Pakistan have the edge or not, but we have a lot of talent in our team. Billy Stanlake is back after a long spell and is bowling with serious pace, while Riley Meredith is also very exciting,” Inglis said.
“Nathan Ellis is very experienced in white-ball cricket now, so we have a lot of quality in the squad and I’m excited to see what they can do throughout the series,” he added.
Australia currently tour Pakistan for a three-match 50-over bilateral series, marking their first ODI visit to the country since March-April 2022 after the Green Shirts recorded a memorable 2-1 series win at home.
Reflecting on Australia’s previous experience against the Men in Green, the wicketkeeper-batsman acknowledged the challenge posed by the opposition and emphasized the need for disciplined performances throughout the series.
“Regarding the previous series against Pakistan, they are a seriously good cricket team and definitely not taken lightly. We will never do that. We have to be on top of our game against you and play good cricket, so it will be an exciting series,” he said.