Australian skipper Pat Cummins and fellow pacemen Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, who have returned to the IPL, might not be seen featuring in the white-ball tour to Pakistan and Bangladesh, and are likely to be joined by the seasoned batter Travis Head.
Currently, several Australian players are part of the IPL. They are currently featuring different franchises and continue to play a crucial role on their sides. The upcoming international tours will overlap with the conclusion of the IPL.
Key Points
- Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and possibly Travis Head are likely to skip Australia’s Pakistan and Bangladesh white-ball tour.
- The Australian stars are expected to prioritise workload management and preparation for future Test assignments.
- Australia’s ODI series against Pakistan will overlap with the IPL 2026 playoffs and final.
Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc likely to miss out on Pakistan and Bangladesh series
The Australian skipper Pat Cummins, who has not played in white-ball formats for Australia in the past year, might once again miss the upcoming tour against Pakistan and Bangladesh, as he is likely to undergo rehabilitation to be back before Australia’s gripping red-ball schedule.
Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc are also not expected to be part of this series, though Starc might not be playing in the playoffs, considering that his team, the Delhi Capitals, are not in a fitting position to make it to the playoffs.
Travis Head, the seasoned batter who has revived his form, might also miss out on the two series and will return to the Australian side ahead of their busy Test schedule.
Upcoming Pakistan ODI series to overlap with IPL playoffs in IPL 2026
The Pakistan Cricket Board have confirmed that the upcoming three-match ODI series will begin at the end of this month. However, they will overlap with the playoffs of the Indian Premier League, which is scheduled to end on the 31st of May.
The PSL season has ended recently, and the PCB has handed enough time to their cricketers to take a break before returning to national colours. However, the match is scheduled to be played on the 30th of May, 2nd and 4th of June, with matches in Rawalpindi and Lahore.
The Bangladesh series will be followed by this tour, as the Aussies will next head to Bangladesh for an ODI and T20I series beginning from the 9th of June. The IPL playoffs begin on the 24th of May and end with the final on the 31st of May.
Australian players who are likely to be available for the Pakistan tour after exit from IPL 2026
With Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood being unavailable for the upcoming series, the Australian side would once again find themselves amid some woes with the ball. The likes of Alex Carey, Adam Zampa, and Marnus Labuschagne, who recently played in the PSL, are the mainstays for the ODI series.
From the IPL, the likes of Matt Short, Cameron Green, and Josh Inglis might be among the players who would make their way into the national side, as their respective franchises might actually not be making it that far into the playoffs. Though no team have been officially eliminated as of now.
Mitchell Marsh, the LSG opener, is likely to lead the Australian white-ball side on another occasion, especially in the absence of Pat Cummins. Travis Head who also took over as the skipper on some occasions is also likely to be absent from the squad.
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