Pakistan will host Australia in a three-match T20 International series in Lahore as both teams fine-tune their preparations for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, set to begin on February 7. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed the fixtures, which will be played at Gaddafi Stadium on January 29, January 31 and February 1, 2026, with the Australian squad scheduled to arrive in Lahore on January 28.
The short series, packed into four days, comes at a crucial juncture for both sides as they look to finalise combinations and assess player fitness ahead of the global tournament, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Injury concerns loom large for both teams, with Australia monitoring the recoveries of Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Tim David, while Pakistan are without spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi, who is sidelined after picking up an injury during the Big Bash League (BBL).
With the T20 World Cup beginning just days after the series, the Lahore encounters are expected to provide high-intensity match practice under subcontinental conditions. Pakistan have been placed in Group A and will play their World Cup matches in Sri Lanka, while Australia feature in Group B, adding further significance to this final tune-up.
PCB Chief Operating Officer Sumair Ahmed Syed described the series as a marquee event on the home calendar, urging fans to turn out in numbers.
“We are excited and look forward to hosting Australia for the three-match T20I series here in Lahore. The tour marks a blockbuster beginning of the year for Pakistan cricket fans, and we urge them to support both teams as they put the final touches to their T20 World Cup preparations,” he said.
Australia’s return to Pakistan continues the revival of bilateral cricket between the two nations, following their last full tour in March–April 2022, which featured three Tests, three ODIs and a lone T20I. That solitary T20 match, also at Gaddafi Stadium, was narrowly won by Australia, while Pakistan claimed the ODI series and the visitors took the Test honours.
Pakistan head into the series after a drawn T20I series in Sri Lanka, while Australia arrive buoyed by a commanding Ashes Test series victory over England. With World Cup momentum on the line, the Lahore showdown promises intensity, experimentation and a clear indication of where both teams stand ahead of cricket’s biggest T20 event.
Pakistan’s T20I fixtures v Australia:
- First T20I: January 29, Lahore
- Second T20I: January 31, Lahore
- Third T20I: February 1, Lahore
All matches start at 6:00PM, Pakistan Standard Time (PKT)
