Adam Zampa was back in Australia’s XI for the second ODI against Pakistan in Lahore on Tuesday after passing a fitness test that cleared him to return from a neck spasm. Billy Stanlake made way for the legspinner, leaving Nathan Ellis as the only specialist seamer in a bowling attack built around spin.
The move came with Australia needing a response after Pakistan won the opener in Rawalpindi by five wickets and took a 1-0 lead in the series. Australia were bowled out for 200 and then watched Pakistan finish on 5-202, with Babar Azam making 69 and Ghazi Ghori adding 65 in the chase.
Zampa’s return mattered because Australia were trying to avoid a third straight men’s ODI series defeat to Pakistan, after losing 2-1 both in 2022 and again at home in 2024. Pakistan named an unchanged side for the Lahore match, while Australia leaned into conditions that were already expected to help turn the ball.
Matt Kuhnemann said the pitch should keep offering spin with another day to go and stressed that Australia knew what was coming after the Rawalpindi loss. He also pointed to Zampa’s value inside the group, saying the legspinner’s world-class quality and leadership were crucial as Australia tried to win the series in Pakistan.
The selection left Australia with six spin options and only one specialist fast bowler, a clear gamble in a game they had to level to stay alive in the series. Cooper Connolly had joined the squad in Lahore after Mitch Marsh withdrew with an ankle injury, but he was not picked, and the pressure now shifts to Thursday’s third ODI in Lahore, where Australia will know whether the gamble has bought them a way back or left them chasing the series again before heading to Bangladesh.
