Some big names from Australia - Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc- might sit out of the ODI series tour to Pakistan. The reason their dates overlap with the final stretch of IPL 2026. Busy calendars could keep them away, and international duties may take a back seat just then.
On Thursday, the Pakistan Cricket Board gave the nod - the three ODI games kick off on May 30 in Rawalpindi. After that, the action moves to Lahore, where fans can see matches on June 2 and again on June 4. This stretch wraps up the latter part of a limited-overs plan, the first chunk of which included three T20S ahead of the global tournament back in January.
Heading straight to Bangladesh, Australia will begin a white-ball series on June 9. Because the IPL 2026 knockouts go from May 26 to May 31, some Aussie players still competing might miss part of the tour.
Those caught in the playoff rush won’t make it for the early matches in Pakistan. Busy with league commitments, their arrival could come later. While plans stay fixed, player presence may shift depending on how far they progress overseas.
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Missing the ODI series will be Cummins, along with Hazlewood, Travis Head, Cooper Connolly, and Xavier Bartlett. Right now, Sunrisers Hyderabad sit above everyone else, followed closely by Punjab Kings in second place. Even so, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru still hold a strong chance at reaching the playoffs despite Hazlewood being out.
Out west, Delhi’s team clings to a faint playoff chance while Cameron Green's squad in Kolkata holds on by a thread. Yet further north, with Lucknow nearly out of the race, Marsh and Inglis might find themselves free sooner than expected.
It's thought Cricket Australia is watching how much Cummins, then Hazlewood, and Starc are playing, since each returned to IPL 2026 after time off due to injury. Because the national team faces nearly two dozen Tests within twelve months, the pickers might skip using those older fast bowlers at all when touring Pakistan, then Bangladesh.
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Two games. That is all Cummins has played in white-ball cricket since Australia lifted the 2023 World Cup trophy, both matches tucked into the closing months of 2024. Should rest follow once more, his return might wait until the team heads off to Zimbabwe and South Africa sometime before December.
If Head gets some rest, it would help manage the workload ahead of Australia’s busy schedule. Even with doubts about current performance, Green stays central across formats, likely trips to Pakistan and Bangladesh might happen, easing into the challenges of playing below the continent's belt line.
Young players might make up Australia's team, similar to their approach during the T20I tour of Pakistan earlier this year. While familiar faces like Alex Carey, Adam Zampa, and Marnus Labuschagne are likely to feature, Matt Renshaw has earned another shot thanks to steady showings in shorter formats.
Now back hurling the ball, Nathan Ellis shrugs off the hamstring tendon issue that kept him away during IPL games earlier this season. He's seen running in again, following weeks laid low by the same problem that blocked his spot months ago.
Some young players - Tanveer Sangha, Ollie Peake, Joel Davies, Nikhil Chaudhary are already working out alongside Australia’s coaches in Brisbane. Training there comes before more camp sessions, which in turn come before the team leaves.
