Pakistan v Australia Twenty20 ultimate guide

AUSTRALIA will risk it to get the biscuit against Pakistan over the next week in a three-match Twenty20 series.

And that biscuit is both metaphorical and literal with the two teams duking it out for a trophy adorned with a model of the sponsor’s product — Tuc biscuits — and to be crowned the world’s best T20 international team.

Pakistan currently sit atop the International Cricket Councils’ T20I rankings on 132 points, eight ahead of second placed India and nine ahead of Australia.

Every ODI and T20I ad-break free during play and in 4K, only on Foxtel this November. Get Sport HD + Entertainment with no lock in contract and no iQ4 set up costs. Get Foxtel Sport. T&C’s Apply
If Aaron Finch’s side manage to pull off an improbable clean sweep it will see them leapfrog India and Pakistan and go to top of the ladder with 130 points, with Sarfraz Ahmed’s outfit slipping to second (127) ahead of India.

However, pulling off a clean sweep against Pakistan is much easier said than done. The Pakistanis have managed to find consistency in the game’s least predictable format with a record-breaking nine consecutive series wins in a row — most recently winning a tri-series against Australia and Zimbabwe.

It’s a run of results that cannot be pinned on any one player’s success, but the strength of the group. No player in the world has scored more T20I runs that Babar Azam (742 at 53.00, strike rate of 127.49) since Pakistan started this run of series wins against England in September 20. But the 24-year-old has been ably supported by Fakhar Zaman (646 at 30.76, SR 143.55) and Shoaib Malik (641 at 64.10, SR 152.98). While with the ball both leg-spinner Shadb Khan (32 wickets at 18.00, economy of 7.20) and quick Hasan Ali (27 at 22.70, econ. 8.24) have carried the load.

Australia of course has weapons of it own and none more destructive than captain Finch, who sits atop the ICC’s T20I batting rankings ahead of Pakistan’s Zaman. Finch is averaging 77.50 in T20I cricket this year with a strike rate of a whopping 201.29.

He’ll be able to call on the services of both Andrew Tye and Billy Stanlake who sit first (23 wickets at 17.21, econ. 8.27) and fourth (18 a 19.61, econ. 7.67) on the wicket-taking charts for the year.

HOW TO WATCH
Watch the entire series LIVE on Fox Cricket 501!
Online: Live, Foxtel app, Foxtel now

Betting: Pakistan $1.81, Australia $2.00

Head-to-head T20 record: Played 17, Pakistan 9, Australia 7, 1 tie

FIXTURES
Game 1: Pakistan vs Australia Thursday October 25 at Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi 3am (AEDT)

Game 2: Pakistan vs Australia Saturday October 27 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai 3am (AEDT)

Game 3: Pakistan vs Australia Monday October 29 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai 3am (AEDT)

SQUADS

Pakistan
Sarfraz Ahmed (c), Shaheen Shah Afridi, Asif Ali, Hassan Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Babar Azam, Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Hafeez, Shadab Khan, Shoaib Malik, Waqas Maqsood, Usman Khan Shinwari, Hussain Talat, Imad Wasim, Fakhar Zaman

Australia
Aaron Finch (c), Mitch Marsh (vc), Alex Carey (vc), Ashton Agar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Lynn, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, Darcy Short, Peter Siddle, Billy Stanlake, Mitch Starc, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa