Big Bash rising stars earn Aussie call-ups to face Pakistan

Injured trio Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Tim David will have extra time to build up their fitness ahead of the T20 World Cup with the group to skip Australia's whirlwind tour of Pakistan in the lead up to the tournament.

Selectors today announced a 17-player touring party to face Pakistan in three T20 internationals in Lahore, with Big Bash performances seeing some fresh faces injected into the national set-up, including emerging Perth Scorchers speedster Mahli Beardman and Sydney Sixers young gun Jack Edwards.

Beardman and Edwards are uncapped at international level but were both part of Australia's white-ball squads at times during India's tour earlier in the summer

Australia T20I squad v Pakistan: Mitch Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Mahli Beardman, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Mitch Owen, Josh Philippe, Matthew Renshaw, Matt Short, Marcus Stonis, Adam Zampa

Brisbane Heat batter Matthew Renshaw is another vying to make his T20I debut against Pakistan with his inclusion reward for another strong Big Bash season. The left-hander made his ODI debut against India in October and has dominated against the white ball in domestic cricket in recent years, averaging 35.53 for his 604 runs over the past two BBL campaigns.

Right-armer Edwards has taken the most wickets for Sydney Sixers in their ongoing Big Bash campaign, with his 15 at 18.33 placing him equal fourth through the home-and-away stage of the tournament. Twenty-year-old Beardman has also impressed in his first full BBL season with eight wickets to help the Scorchers top the standings.

Australia's star trio of Cummins, Hazlewood and David are set to meet the World Cup squad in Sri Lanka ahead of their tournament opener against Ireland on February 11.

Hobart Hurricanes skipper Nathan Ellis and Melbourne Stars allrounder Glenn Maxwell, who will face off in the KFC BBL|15 Knockout final on Wednesday, will also head directly to Colombo to help manage their workloads ahead of the World Cup.

It leaves Xavier Bartlett as the sole specialist fast bowler in the Aussies' World Cup 15 heading to Pakistan for the warm-up fixtures, with fringe quicks Ben Dwarshuis and Sean Abbott getting an opportunity to push their case should reinforcements be required.

Selectors named an expanded squad for the Qantas T20I tour of Pakistan to cover absences for the BBL finals, which begin on Tuesday night when the Scorchers and Sixers clash for a spot in the decider.

Players involved in the BBL|15 finals will join the Australian squad in Pakistan once their team's tournament is complete.

"The series is a great opportunity for those on the brink of selection and some young players we rate highly (to gain) valuable experience with the World Cup group in Pakistan," selection chair George Bailey said.

"Some are already experienced international players along with Mahli Beardman who has been with the group a number of times and Jack Edwards who joined for the last one-day match against India in Sydney last year."

Ten of the 17 players travelling to Pakistan are also part of the World Cup squad. All three matches will be played at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on January 29, 31 and February 1 (midnight following day AEDT).

Australia are confident Hazlewood (hamstring and Achillies) and David (hamstring) will be fit for the start of next month's World Cup, while they are prepared to be patient with Cummins' recovery from lumbar back stress in the hope he can make an impact towards the back end of the tournament.

Selectors took a similar approach with Travis Head's return from a broken hand during the 2023 ODI World Cup with the left-hander peeling off two centuries in the second half of the tournament, including 137 against India as he was named player of the final.

Cummins has been rested since his one appearance during the Ashes to help Australia clinch the urn in Adelaide, while David's Big Bash was cut short when he injured his hamstring batting for the Hurricanes on December 26.

Hazlewood hasn't played since early November when he hurt his right hamstring bowling for NSW in the Sheffield Shield, with an Achillies issue during his rehab ruling him out for the entire Ashes series.

But the paceman, who was in excellent form during India's white-ball tour in October and has been Australia's most reliable fast bowler in T20 internationals over the past five years (70 wickets at an economy rate of 7.15), told ESPN recently he was "on track" for the World Cup.

"Everything's going to plan," he told the publication last week. "We took a few extra weeks once we couldn't make the Test matches. I had a couple of bowls off the half-run last week."

Australia play their four World Cup group matches in Sri Lanka before moving to India for the Super Eight phase, should they qualify.

Qantas T20I tour of Pakistan 2026

First T20I: Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, 12am AEDT January 30 (6pm PKT, Jan 29)

Second T20I: Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, 12am AEDT February 1 (6pm PKT, Jan 31)

Third T20I: Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, 12am AEDT February 2 (6pm PKT, Feb 1)