Australia confirm Pakistan boycott ahead of T20 World Cup 2026
Published - 27 Jan 2026, 11:29 AM | Updated - 27 Jan 2026, 11:31 AM
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The upcoming Pakistan vs Australia T20I series is at risk of being missed by Australian television audiences. Amidst the ongoing ICC-PCB tussle over Bangladesh’s ouster from the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, Australian broadcasters seem to be boycotting Pakistan.
Pakistan vs Australia T20I Series faces broadcast trouble
Just weeks before the upcoming T20 World Cup, the three-match T20I series between Pakistan and Australia in Lahore is struggling to find a broadcaster in Australia. The biggest problem is timing and star power in the upcoming T20I games that are very important for both teams.
All matches are scheduled to start at 10 PM AEDT, which Australian broadcasters see as not so useful a slot with limited reach to the cricket audience. Additionally, the absence of big Australian players has made the Pakistan series far less attractive for broadcasters.
Australia’s several biggest stars, including Glenn Maxwell, Tim David, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood, have been rested as part of workload management ahead of the T20 World Cup 2027. With these crowd-pullers missing, the Australian TV networks feel the series lacks the excitement needed to draw strong viewership.
Late-night timings and missing star power make the T20I series hard to sell
This situation has reportedly turned the Pakistan vs Australia series into a tough sell despite the historic rivalry between the two teams, as the broadcasters are hesitant to invest, leaving the series without a broadcaster in Australia so far.
It is tough to find a TV network within two days, as the T20I series is all set to get underway on January 29 at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, with the last two games slated for January 31 and February 1. On the other hand, the T20 World Cup will get underway on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka.
🚨 PAKISTAN-AUSTRALIA T20I SERIES MIGHT BE MISSED IN AUSTRALIA 🚨
— Salman. (@TsMeSalman) January 27, 2026
- There are no Australian broadcasters for the three-match series in Lahore yet.
- With matches starting at 10 PM AEDT, networks say the star power is limited, making it a hard sell for TV.
- Many big Aussie… pic.twitter.com/fUJb8obCG0
However, the squads for the Pakistan vs Australia series have already been announced.
Pakistan vs Australia Head-to-Head records in T20Is
Speaking about head-to-head records, Australia and Pakistan share one of the tightest rivalries in T20I cricket, and the difference between the two teams is almost nothing. So far, they have faced each other in 28 T20I matches, and Australia holds a very slim edge.
The Aussies have won 14 games, while Pakistan is right behind with 13 wins. One match ended with no result, which shows how tight matches have been between them in the T20 format.
The battle has been intense with the bat as well. Australia’s highest score against Pakistan is 197, only three runs more than Pakistan’s top score of 194. Both teams have consistently pushed each other to the limit. When it comes to individual performances, Glenn Maxwell, who is known for his aggressive batting, has been Australia’s top run-getter with 420 runs.
On the other hand, Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan leads overall with 470 runs, showing his consistency at the top. With the ball, Adam Zampa has taken 15 wickets for Australia, while Shaheen Afridi leads Pakistan with 17 wickets, proving how crucial fast bowling has been in this rivalry.
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Pakistan vs Australia Pakistan National Cricket Team Australia National Cricket Team ICC T20 World CupAbout the Author
Rashmi Wasnik is a passionate content writer with over a decade of experience. She started her journ...
