Inglis appointed interim T20I captain and will lead Australia in the third ODI against Pakistan

Australia has named wicketkeeper Josh Inglis as the interim T20I captain for the upcoming series against Pakistan. This comes as regular captain Mitchell Marsh and vice-captain Travis Head are unavailable due to paternity leave and Test preparation, respectively. Inglis will lead the team in the third and final ODI in Perth, with Pat Cummins, Steven Smith, and Josh Hazlewood resting for the Test series build-up.

At 29 years old, Inglis will become Australia’s 14th T20I captain and 30th ODI captain. His appointment follows a recommendation from the selectors and approval from the board. Inglis has not captained at the Big Bash League level, but people highly regard his leadership qualities. He captained the Prime Minister’s XI in a first-class match against the West Indies in 2022 and, as a result, has earned a reputation for strong tactical acumen. Furthermore, Inglis will receive additional leadership support in the ODI series from senior players like Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis.

Australia’s squad for the third ODI against Pakistan sees several notable absentees, as Pat Cummins, Steven Smith, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Marnus Labuschagne all focus on preparations for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy. In their absence, Josh Inglis will take charge as captain. Additionally, the squad includes Xavier Bartlett, Spencer Johnson, and Josh Philippe. Notably, Hazlewood will play only one ODI, in Adelaide.

Inglis’s leadership role also comes with a change in coaching staff. With head coach Andrew McDonald and other key coaches on a short break, assistant coach Andre Borovec will oversee the T20I series, with former Australia batter Brad Hodge also joining the coaching staff.

Australia’s T20I and ODI squads for the series against Pakistan are as follows:

ODI squad: Pat Cummins (capt), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Lance Morris, Josh Philippe, Matthew Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

T20I squad: Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis (capt), Spencer Johnson, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa.