Sydney: Key Australia players may likely miss the three-match T20I series against Pakistan, scheduled later this year, in a bid to prepare for the five-match Test series against India, ESPN Cricinfo reported Thursday.

Cricket Australia (CA) on Thursday, announced the schedule of domestic summer including the Sheffield Shield, scheduled to commence on October 8. Consequently, Australia’s all-format players will have an ample opportunity to prepare for the Test series against India but their availability in the tournament will be majorly affected by the white-ball series against Pakistan. Pakistan’s white-ball tour to Australia will embark with a three-match ODI series. Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) will host the series opener on November 4 with subsequent matches scheduled on November 8 and 10 in in Adelaide and Perth, respectively. Pakistan and Australia will then engage in a three-match T20I series, scheduled to commence on November 14. The T20I series will conclude on November 18, just three days prior to Australia’s first Test of the five-match series against India. As a result, only those Australia players, who will not participate in the Test series against India, will feature in the T20I series against Pakistan. “Availability of multi-format players for the Shield will likely be impacted by the limited-overs visit of Pakistan with the ODI series starting on November 4,” the report read. “The proximity of the T20Is (November 14-18) to the start of the India series means only players not featuring in the Test will likely be selected,” it added.

November 4: First ODI at MCG, Melbourne November 8: Second ODI at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide November 10: Third ODI at Perth Stadium, Perth Pakistan vs Australia T20I series schedule: November 14: First T20I at The Gabba, Brisbane November 16: Second T20I at SCG, Sydney November 18: Third T20I at Bellerive Oval, Hobart