Pakistan, Australia unveil trophy for upcoming ODI Series

The trophy for the upcoming Pakistan–Australia ODI series was unveiled on Friday by Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi and Australian skipper Josh Inglis, marking the official start of the much-anticipated three-match contest, 24NewsHD TV reported. 

Shaheen Shah Afridi and his Australian counterpart also posed with the trophy during the ceremony.

The trophy features a sleek, modern design with a tall, slender silver body rising from a compact rectangular base. 

Its minimalist structure is defined by smooth vertical lines leading to a polished spherical top resembling a cricket ball. With its mirror-finish metallic surface, the trophy conveys a contemporary, premium championship aesthetic.

After the opening match in Rawalpindi, the series will move to Lahore for the second and third ODIs on June 2 and June 4, respectively. The toss for all three matches is scheduled for 4:00 pm, with the first ball set to be bowled at 4:30 pm.          

Talking to PCB Digital on the eve of the series, Pakistan ODI captain Shaheen Shah Afridi said, “The first ODI in Rawalpindi will be a special occasion as it marks Pakistan’s 1,000th ODI.

It is an important milestone in our cricket history, and we would like to celebrate it with a strong performance against Australia.

“Australia are one of the strongest teams in world cricket and contests between the two sides have always been highly competitive. Our preparations for the series have been good, he said, adding that the players have worked hard during the training camp and everyone is eager to contribute towards the team’s success.

 Shaheen Shah Afridi expressed hope that Babar Azam, who had been recalled for the upcoming three-match series against Australia, would continue his PSL form.

“We hope that his form from PSL continues and he wins matches for Pakistan,” the skipper added.

He firmly rejected the notion that wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan's exclusion from the upcoming home ODI series against Australia signalled the end of his international career.

Shaheen stressed that the wicketkeeper batter's international career was far from over as he cited his and another experienced cricketer. 

 "Just because Mohammad Rizwan is not part of this series does not mean his career is over. I was dropped once and came back. Babar was also out of the side and has returned," Shaheen told reporters.

The skipper clarified that the move was instead aimed at giving youngsters like Rohail Nazir and Muhammad Ghazi Ghouri opportunities to prove their mettle while the team could explore options ahead of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027, set to be played in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

"You have to give opportunities to other players as well. Rohail and Ghazi are both talented cricketers, and if you want to prepare properly for a World Cup, then different players need to be tested," Shaheen stated.

“We have enjoyed success against Australia in the last two bilateral ODI series and that gives us confidence, but we understand that every series presents a new challenge. Our focus is on executing our plans well and maintaining consistency throughout the three matches.

“Playing at Rawalpindi and Lahore is always special because of the passionate support we receive from the fans. Their encouragement motivates us to give our best on the field and we hope to provide them with an entertaining brand of cricket.”

Squads

Pakistan: Shaheen Shah Afridi (c), Salman Ali Agha (vc), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Maaz Sadaqat, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Naseem Shah, Rohail Nazir (wk), Sahibzada Farhan, Shadab Khan, Shamyl Hussain and Sufyan Moqim.

Australia: Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Inglis (c/wk), Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Riley Meredith, Ollie Peake, Matthew Renshaw, Tanveer Sangha, Liam Scott, Matt Short, Billy Stanlake, Cooper Connolly and Adam Zampa.