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Australia fast bowling trio, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc, are among the high-profile players set to miss the three-match ODI series against Pakistan due to their participation in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.
The IPL league stage fixtures are set to end on May 24, with the playoffs running from May 26 to May 31, creating a scheduling clash with Australia’s tour.
The 2023 World Cup champions are set to arrive in Pakistan on May 23 before playing their first fixture on May 30 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The second and third matches will be played in Lahore on June 2 and June 4, respectively.
The tour is the second leg of Australia’s white-ball assignment, which began with three T20Is ahead of the T20 World Cup in January.
Cummins, Hazlewood, Travis Head, Cooper Connolly, and Xavier Bartlett are all expected to miss the ODI series, as with their IPL outfits — Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Punjab Kings (PBKS), and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, among playoff contention.
Mitchell Starc’s Delhi Capitals sit seventh, while Cameron Green’s Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) remain eighth but still have a mathematical chance of advancing to the playoffs.
On the contrary, ODI vice-captain Mitchell Marsh and wicketkeeper Josh Inglis are likely to be available, given Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are out of the playoff equation.
Matt Short, part of Chennai Super Kings, is also in line for selection, having been on the fringes of Australia’s ODI set-up.
It is worth noting that, regardless of the availability, Cricket Australia (CA) is understood to be reluctant to risk Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc due to injury concerns ahead of a packed cricketing calendar, during which they will play up to 21 Tests in 12 months time.
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