RAWALPINDI,: Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi says his team is fully prepared for the upcoming ODI series against Australia, while Australian skipper Josh Inglis expects a competitive contest between the two sides.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the series opener, Shaheen said Pakistan had benefited from intensive training sessions and was focused on delivering strong performances against one of the world’s leading cricket teams.

“Australia are among the strongest teams in the world and matches against them are always challenging,” he said, adding that the squad had worked hard during the preparation camp.

Shaheen expressed confidence in senior batter Babar Azam, saying his recent performances in the Pakistan Super League had been encouraging and the team expected him to maintain that form in the ODI series.

The Pakistan captain also highlighted the importance of giving opportunities to emerging players, saying the inclusion of young talent would help strengthen the future of national cricket. He added that bowlers were working on improving pace and overall performance.

Australia expects tough challenge

Australia captain Josh Inglis said his team had a talented squad and was looking forward to a closely contested series.

He described Pakistan as a strong opponent and said Australia’s training sessions had gone well ahead of the opening match.

The three-match ODI series begins on Saturday in Rawalpindi, with the day-night opener scheduled to start at 4:30pm local time.

The remaining two matches will be played at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on June 2 and June 4.

Pakistan have recalled several experienced players, including Babar Azam, while Australia will be without regular captain Mitchell Marsh, who has been ruled out due to injury. Inglis will lead the visitors in his absence.