Marsh reflects in Australia's preparation (Source: @CallMeSheri1_/x.com)
The T20 World Cup 2026 is less than 10 days away, and the participating teams are wasting no time fine-tuning their last-minute preparations. Just before stepping into the tournament, Australia is all set to face Pakistan in a three-match T20I series.
After ending the BBL duties, the Australian captain, Mitchell Marsh, has joined the squad. Ahead of the series, Marsh underlined its importance as a key testing ground for the Aussies before the upcoming marquee tournament.
Marsh shares insights on Australia’s series prep
The T20 World Cup 2026 is knocking on the doors are Australia is all set to face Pakistan in a crucial T20 series just before the marquee tournament. With the BBL final on the side, several players began training in Dubai, while Perth Scorchers and Sydney Sixers stars joined the squad a bit later.
Wrapping up the BBL duty, captain Mitchell Marsh also joined the team only on Sunday night. As the series is set to start tonight, captain Mitchell Marsh was asked about the preparation. Confident and composed, the Aussie skipper assured that the team is ready to take on the challenge.
“I think one of the things about our group and most international teams is that preparation can look different for every tour. The majority of the group have been preparing in Dubai, other guys have been preparing by playing games throughout the Big Bash,” he said.
“We're ready to go and we're looking forward to a great series,” he added.
Australia gears up to take on Pakistan on their home turf
As the three-match T20I series is starting on January 29, Australia is gearing up to face Pakistan on their home soil. The Men in Green have grown into a formidable force over the years, making battles in their conditions always tough. Ahead of the series, Mitchell Marsh expressed his excitement for some fierce on-field clashes.
“We have great respect for them and look forward to the challenge of playing them here. Winning away from home is always hard and especially in conditions like this that can be foreign to us, so we're just really excited about the opportunity,” he said.
“We know that (Pakistan) have got some amazing cricketers, obviously (Babar Azam), Shaheen (Afridi), but we know that in these conditions, it's going to be a really good challenge and that's one that we're looking forward to,” he added.
Are missing stars turning into a concern for Australia?
Before stepping into the T20 World Cup 2026, injury blows proved to be massive on Australia. Pat Cummins, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Tim David, and Glenn Maxwell are yet to gain full fitness as they are not a part of Australia’s squad for the T20I series against Pakistan.
As the Aussies will play their first match of the upcoming tournament in Sri Lanka, all five players will join the squad there. When asked if this creates any stress, Mitchell Marsh was quick to assure everyone, saying the team feels no pressure at all.
“This tour is really important for our World Cup preparations, and we have got some guys that weren't quite ready to be here, they're back at home training and preparing to meet us in Sri Lanka, so no stress there from our end,” he said.
Since the 2021 edition of the T20 World Cup, Australia has faced consecutive setbacks in the 2022 and 2024 editions. As they step into the upcoming tournament, the Aussies are determined to turn the tide and chase the coveted trophy.
