In a major development, the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) took centre stage and announced a three-game home ODI series against Australia. The two sides will lock horns in late May and early June 2026 and will hope that the series will prove to be good preparation for the ODI World Cup in 2027.
Pakistan will be hosting Australia for a three-game ODI series, with the fixtures slated to be played in Islamabad and Lahore. It is worth noting that Australia will be arriving in Islamabad on May 23. The first ODI of the series will be held on May 30.
Furthermore, the last two games of the series will be held at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on June 2 and 4. Notably, this will be Australia’s first bilateral ODI series in Pakistan since 2022. In the early stages of 2026, Australia had visited Pakistan for a three-game T20I series, where Pakistan came out on top with a clean sweep victory in Lahore.
Could IPL be affected through Australia’s schedule?
A glaring issue with the announcement of the series could be the availability of Australia’s core players in the IPL 2026. It is worth noting that with Australia slated to reach Islamabad by May 23, the IPL 2026 playoffs will be in full flow.
While the bottom six teams would have nothing to worry about, some of the core Australian players could leave their respective franchises midway to represent the national team. With Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and many others in the running to reach the playoffs, it could be interesting to see how the sides would fare in the case that the players do leave midway through the tournament.
Series Schedule:
First ODI: May 30, Rawalpindi
Second ODI: June 2, Lahore
Third ODI: June 4, Lahore
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