The first two ODIs will be played in Sharjah, followed by a match in Abu Dhabi, before the rest of the series moves to Dubai. It was initially hoped by the PCB that Australia would seek to play some matches in Pakistan. PCB Director Zakir Khan expressed his disappointment at the CA’s refusal to tour Pakistan.

“The PCB was optimistic that it will be able to convince Cricket Australia to send its side for some matches after successfully staging high-profile bilateral international series and the HBL Pakistan Super League matches in the past 18 months,” said Khan.

However, whether both Warner and Smith are selected for the series will also be dependent on their fitness. The pair are currently recovering from elbow injuries sustained during their stints in the Bangladesh Premier League. Speaking to reporters earlier this week, Australia coach Justin Langer outlined that while it would be “crazy” not to have both Smith and Warner in Australia’s World Cup squad, their returns will have to be monitored carefully.

“We’ve got to keep working on how they are with their elbows, first,” said Langer. “They’re going to need to get some cricket before coming back into the squad. It’s all part of the management. We’ll have to wait and see and what happens there.”

Schedule

22 March – 1st ODI, Sharjah (d/n)
24 March – 2nd ODI, Sharjah (d/n)
27 March – 3rd ODI, Abu Dhabi (d/n)
29 March – 4th ODI, Dubai (d/n)
31 March – 5th ODI, Dubai (d/n)