Cricket Australia (CA) and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have joined hands to strengthen their preparations for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026 starting from February 7 in India and Sri Lanka.
With Australia’s short tour of Pakistan now officially off, ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, the PCB will confirm the full schedule for the upcoming three-match T20I series on January 14.
Pakistan vs Australia T20I series confirmed ahead of ICC T20 World Cup 2026
The PCB has confirmed that the three-match T20 series will be played on January 29, January 31 and February 1 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore with all matches taking place in the evening. The Australian team is scheduled to land in Lahore on January 28, just a day before the start of the series in Lahore.
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Security and preparations are already in place as Pakistan is all set to host Australia as its first guest in 2026. The upcoming Pakistan-Australia T20I series holds great importance for both the teams as they prepare for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
Key ICC T20 World Cup 2026 warm-ups as teams are drawn into different groups
Pakistan and Australia have been drawn in different groups for the global tournament, so this T20I series is valuable to fine-tune the combinations and test the players under match pressure. Notably, Pakistan has been placed in Group A along with India, Netherlands, Namibia and the United States.
Australia, on the other hand, have been placed in Group B along with Zimbabwe, Ireland, Oman and Sri Lanka. While Pakistan will start their campaign against Netherlands on February 7 at the Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground, Australia will take on Ireland on February 11 in Colombo.
Well, this tour will be Australia’s third visit to Pakistan from 2022 onwards. However, they have played only one T20I match at the Gaddafi Stadium in April 2022, winning by three wickets.
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PCB calls Australia tour a big start for Pakistan’s 2026 year
Meanwhile, PCB COO Sumair Ahmed Syed has expressed his excitement about hosting Australia for the upcoming T20 series in Lahore. He said that this tour is a big start to the year for Pakistan cricket and a special moment for the fans as both the teams prepare for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
“We are excited and look forward to hosting Australia for a three-match T20 series here in Lahore. This tour marks a blockbuster start to the year for Pakistan cricket fans, and I urge them to turn out in large numbers to support both teams during the series as they finalize their T20 World Cup preparations,” the PCB COO said in an official statement.
I’m sure Gaddafi Stadium has become a familiar sight for the Australian cricket team, as they have played one Test, five ODIs and one T20 match here since March 2022.
Pakistan vs Australia series schedule:
29 January: 1st T20I at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
31 January: 2nd T20I at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
1 February: 3rd T20I at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
