Depleted Australia set to take on Pak in ODIs

Lahore: Australia will field one of the most depleted white-ball sides in a long time when it takes on hosts Pakistan in the opening game of the historic three-match ODI series at the Gaddafi Stadium here on Tuesday.

Australia's first white-ball match on Pakistan soil since 1998 is shorn of some of the biggest names, including Test captain Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and top-order batters Steve Smith and David Warner.

While all the matches will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium -- the venue where Australia won the third and final Test recently to take the series 1-0 -- it remains to be seen how the Aaron Finch-led limited-overs side shapes up with both bat and ball given their inexperience.

The side will also be missing Jhye Richardson, who was not considered for the entire tour keeping his long-term utility in mind, while Kane Richardson suffered a hamstring injury at training in Melbourne a day before the team's departure. Limited-overs specialist Glenn Maxwell too is missing after he got married recently.

To add to their woes, Mitchell Marsh -- with 63 ODIs to his name and Australia's second-most experienced player on the tour behind skipper Finch (132 ODIs) -- has been ruled out of the first ODI and possibly the entire series due to a hip flexor injury sustained at training on Sunday.

While Travis Head is back in the mix, it remains to be seen how he shapes up, given that he hasn't played ODI cricket since 2018. Among others, Cameron Green has played just one, Sean Abbott two, while Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Josh Inglis and Mitchell Swepson would all make their ODI debut if selected, according to cricket.com.au.