Josh Inglis Named Interim T20I Captain and to Lead in Final ODI Against Pakistan

Australia’s wicketkeeper Josh Inglis has been appointed as the interim T20I captain for the upcoming series against Pakistan, stepping in for Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head. He will also captain Australia in the third and final ODI against Pakistan in Perth, as Pat Cummins, Steven Smith, and Josh Hazlewood will all be resting ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Inglis, 29, will become the 14th T20I and 30th ODI captain for Australia, following the board’s approval after a recommendation from the selectors. Marsh, the permanent T20I captain, and Head, who led Australia in Marsh's absence during a game in England in September, are both unavailable for the series due to paternity leave and preparations for the Test series. Similarly, Cummins and Smith are not playing in the T20 series as they focus on preparing for the Test summer.

For the third ODI, Cummins, Smith, Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Marnus Labuschagne will all rest to finalise their Test preparations, leaving Inglis to take the reins as captain. Xavier Bartlett, Spencer Johnson, and Josh Philippe have been added to Australia’s squad for Perth, while Lance Morris remains with the group after covering for Hazlewood in Melbourne during a Sheffield Shield match. As a result, Hazlewood will feature in just one ODI of the series, in Adelaide.

Although Inglis has not captained at Big Bash League (BBL) level, unlike teammates Matt Short, Glenn Maxwell, Adam Zampa, and Nathan Ellis, his leadership abilities are well regarded. In November 2022, he was appointed captain of the Prime Minister's XI for a first-class match against the West Indies. Selectors have confidence in his tactical knowledge and leadership style, with chair of selectors George Bailey stating, “Josh is an integral member of the ODI and T20I teams and a highly respected player on and off the field. He has led Australia A [Prime Minister's XI] previously and will bring strong tactical nous and a positive approach to the role.”

Inglis will be supported by experienced players such as Matt Short, Adam Zampa, Glenn Maxwell, and Marcus Stoinis.

At the domestic level, Inglis was vice-captain of the Perth Scorchers and an important member of their leadership group. He was strongly considered to take over as captain when Ashton Turner suffered a season-ending injury, but Aaron Hardie was ultimately chosen due to concerns about having a wicketkeeper as captain in a leadership role far from the bowlers.

Australia’s selectors do not have the same reservations at the international level, where the team’s experienced bowlers will provide support. Recent years have seen interim wicketkeeper captains, with Matthew Wade serving as vice-captain in T20Is and stepping in as captain on 13 occasions, including during the 2022 World Cup and on tours to India and New Zealand. Tim Paine and Alex Carey also captained the ODI side in 2019 and 2021.

For the T20I series, Australia will be under the direction of assistant coach Andre Borovec, who previously managed the team for the T20I series against India in October 2023. Former Australia batter Brad Hodge will also be an assistant coach for the series after touring with the T20 World Cup squad as a consultant earlier this year. Wade will serve as interim fielding and wicketkeeping coach for the series.

Australia’s ODI Squad vs Pakistan
- Pat Cummins (captain), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Lance Morris, Josh Philippe, Matthew Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

Australia’s T20I Squad vs Pakistan
- Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis (captain), Spencer Johnson, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa