Oliver Peake eclipses Ricky Ponting's 31-year-old record during PAK vs AUS 1st ODI
Rawalpindi, May 30
Victoria batter Oliver Peake became the 252nd Australian to play men's one-day international cricket during the first ODI against Pakistan in Rawalpindi on Saturday.
The 19-year-old from Geelong has been on a meteoric trajectory since playing a star role in Australia's U19 World Cup win in 2024, when aged just 17, according to the cricket.com.au.
At 19 years and 261 days, the left-hander broke former Australian captain Ricky Ponting's 31-year-old record as the youngest specialist batter to debut for Australia.
Ponting was aged 20 years and 58 days when he made his ODI debut in February 1995 against South Africa during a tournament in New Zealand, making 1 batting at No.6.
The youngest ever ODI debutant for Australia was Pat Cummins at 18 years and 164 days. Cummins is among a handful of front-line stars missing from this tour as selectors prioritise the up to 21 Tests Australia will play in a 12-month block from August.
Earlier, Pakistan won the toss and decided to field against Australia in first ODI. During the toss, Shaheen Afridi said Pakistan chose to bowl first because the pitch looks slow and low, and that the team looks to take advantage of the conditions. He also highlighted the significance of Pakistan playing their 1,000th ODI, calling it a proud and special milestone for the country.
Pakistan enter this ODI series after a 2-1 series loss against Bangladesh in their away series. While the Bangladesh series provided Pakistan with valuable competitive preparation, they will be keen to deliver a commanding performance in front of their supporters in Rawalpindi.
Australia, meanwhile, haven't played an ODI since their home series against India in October last year. They defeated India 2-1 in the series. Australia will look to win the series opener against Pakistan and kick their 2027 World Cup preparations off positively.
Pakistan vs Australia playing 11s:
Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Maaz Sadaqat, Babar Azam, Ghazi Ghori(w), Salman Agha, Abdul Samad, Shadab Khan, Arafat Minhas, Shaheen Afridi(c), Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed
Australia: Matthew Short, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis(w/c), Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Matt Renshaw, Oliver Peake, Nathan Ellis,Tanveer Sangha, Billy Stanlake, Matthew Kuhnemann.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Honestly, the Australian team management is smart. They're giving young blood a chance even when senior stars are rested. Peake's U19 performance was something else – hope he adapts quickly to the senior level. On the other hand, Pakistan's bowling attack looks threatening on their home soil, especially Shaheen with the new ball.
Good to see young talent getting international exposure. But I hope we don't put too much pressure on this 19-year-old. Remember how we celebrated Prithvi Shaw's debut? Consistency matters. Also, can't ignore that Australia's batting lineup looks a bit brittle without Warner, Head and Marsh. Let's see how they handle Pakistan's pace attack. 🤔
Shaheen Afridi won the toss and chose to bowl – given the pitch condition, that's a good call. But Pakistan's recent form against Bangladesh was concerning; they need to bounce back strongly. Australia might be rusty after a long ODI gap. Should be an interesting contest! 😊
Breaking Ponting's record is fantastic. But I hope we remember that Ponting became a legend through years of hard work and performance, not just a debut record. The real test begins now for Peake. Also interesting that Pakistan playing their 1000th ODI – that's a rich history along with Bangladesh series defeat. The pressure is on home team to perform on this milestone match.
Good to see Australia investing in youth for the 2027 World Cup cycle. But let's be honest – without Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood, Warner, Head, and Marsh,
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