Rawalpindi [Pakistan], May 30 : Pakistan captain Shaheen Afridi won the toss and opted to bowl first against Australia in the first ODI of the three-match series, at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Saturday. Notably, the series marks a crucial preparation for both teams ahead of the next year's ODI World Cup.
After winning the toss, Shaheen Afridi said Pakistan chose to bowl first because the pitch looks slow and low, and that the team looks to take advantage of the conditions. He also highlighted the significance of Pakistan playing their 1,000th ODI, calling it a proud and special milestone for the country.
"We will bowl first. The pitch is a bit slow and low. We were expecting a bit more. The light was not good. We will try to make the most of it and get the most out of it. (1,000th match for Pakistan) Yes, absolutely. It is a special occasion for Pakistan. It's a happy thing that when Pakistanis represent in ODI, it is a big achievement. So I think it is a special moment for the whole team and we will enjoy it and push for it. Yes, absolutely. We will continue with it. We will build on the momentum and perform consistently," Shaheen said.
Australian captain Josh Inglis said he expects a dry surface and will quickly assess conditions before aiming to post a strong total. He noted that the squad selection was influenced by expectations of similar conditions to those encountered in the recent T20 series that Australia played. Inglis also confirmed the debut of Oliver Peake, praising the young batter's impressive start to his career.
"It's quite dry, so we'll assess as quick as we possibly can and hopefully put a good total on board. (Talking about the squad) I think it's just the squad that we've got together at the moment. We sort of thought that we'd get these conditions again after those T20s, and it looks like we've got something similar. (Any debutants?) Yes, Oliver Peake will make his debut today. He's had a great start to his career. He's incredibly exciting. I think one of the best things about Ollie, he's got a really good head on his shoulders, and we've seen in some big moments, he's stood up. So hopefully plenty more of those moments to come," Inglis said.
Pakistan enter this ODI series after a 2-1 series loss against Bangladesh in their away series. While the Bangladesh series provided Pakistan with valuable competitive preparation, they will be keen to deliver a commanding performance in front of their supporters in Rawalpindi.
Australia, meanwhile, haven't played an ODI since their home series against India in October last year. They defeated India 2-1 in the series. Australia will look to win the series opener against Pakistan and kick their 2027 World Cup preparations off positively.
Pakistan vs Australia playing 11s:

Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Maaz Sadaqat, Babar Azam, Ghazi Ghori(w), Salman Agha, Abdul Samad, Shadab Khan, Arafat Minhas, Shaheen Afridi(c), Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed
Australia: Matthew Short, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis(w/c), Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Matt Renshaw, Oliver Peake, Nathan Ellis,Tanveer Sangha, Billy Stanlake, Matthew Kuhnemann.