AUS vs PAK World Cup 2023 | Shadab Khan 'Dropped'; Shaheen Afridi & Co. To Bowl First
Pat Cummins and Babar Azam before the toss (Hotstar)
Ahead of the much-anticiapted star-studded World Cup clash between Pakistan and Australia, Babar Azam won the toss and decided to field first against Pat Cummins and his boys on Friday (October 20) in Bengaluru.
More significantly, Shadab Khan, the Men in Green's vice-captain has been dropped, with Usama Mir coming in as his replacement.
It was the only change made by either side, with Aussies going with the same lineup which enjoyed a five-wicket victory against Sri Lanka in their previous fixture.
AUS vs PAK: Confirmed Playing XIs
Australia XI vs Pakistan:
David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis(wk), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins(c), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
Pakistan XI vs Australia:
Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam(c), Mohammad Rizwan(wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf
AUS vs PAK: Captains’ Thoughts
Babar Azam
“We will bowl first. The pitch looks really good. We have had a couple of good sessions. We are hoping to do well. We need to do well in batting. We will try our best. Shadab is not playing. Usama comes in.”
Pat Cummins
"We would have had a bowl as well. The energy was awesome even though they had a big partnership. The intent from our guys was excellent. The way we played against Lanka, we should do the same. The same. Everyone good to go."
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