Australia vs. Pakistan, World T20: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info, Preview

Australia and Pakistan go head-to-head in Mohali, India, on Friday in a crucial fixture for both teams at the ICC World Twenty20.

With New Zealand already through to the knockout stages thanks to three straight wins, the other four nations in Group 2 are battling it out to qualify for the semi-finals alongside the Kiwis.

Australia lost to their trans-Tasman rivals in their opening outing but bounced back with a three-wicket victory over Bangladesh in Bangalore on Monday.

Pakistan, meanwhile, cannot afford to slip up at the wonderfully named Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium. A win would lift them to four points, although that may still not be enough to finish in the top two.

Date: Friday, March 25

Time: 3 p.m. local (9:30 a.m. GMT / 5:30 a.m. ET)

Venue: Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali

Live Stream and TV Info: Channel 9 and Fox Sports (Australia), Ariana TV Network (Afghanistan), BTV (Bangladesh), ESPN Star and Star Sports (India), SkySports NZ (New Zealand), Sky Sports 2 (UK), Willow TV (subscription, USA and Canada), PTV Sports and Ten Sports (Pakistan), SuperSport (South Africa), OSN Sports (Middle East)

Weather: According to AccuWeather.com, it will be warm and cloudy on Friday. Temperatures are expected to reach as high as 37 degrees Celsius.

Overview

Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

The format of the World T20 leaves little wriggle room. With only two teams qualifying from each Super 10 group, an early defeat can leave you up against it.

Australia fell into an early hole from the moment they made a mess of chasing down a target of 143 against New Zealand in Dharamsala on March 18.

They got off the mark with a win over Bangladesh but were hardly convincing. Needing 157 for victory, they rather fell over the finishing line, eventually reaching their target with three wickets to spare.

Still, there were two notable positives to take out of a performance that will not live long in the memory.

Usman Khawaja justified his selection ahead of Aaron Finch—the best T20 batsman in the world, according to the ICC rankings—with a maiden international half-century in the format. The left-hander made 58 from 45 deliveries to lay the foundations in his side's successful chase.

Adam Zampa also impressed for Australia, the leg-spinner picking up three for 23 from his four overs.

But, there is still a feeling Australia's team management are not sure quite who should be in the XI and exactly where they should all bat.

Shane Warne helped out the selectors by naming his team on Twitter:

Pakistan, meanwhile, have seen their campaign falter after a fine start.

They hit 201 for five to beat Bangladesh in their opener yet since then have suffered disappointing defeats to rivals India and an in-form New Zealand.

They were not helped against the Black Caps in Mohali by Mohammad Hafeez and Wahab Riaz both missing the game through injury, according to ESPN Cricinfo.

Coach Waqar Younis blamed the batsmen for failing to chase 181 against the Kiwis on Tuesday, per Osman Samiuddin of the National: "While one must admit that they [New Zealand] bowled really well, our batsmen just couldn’t find the boundaries in the middle. Simply not good enough."

Now Pakistan's predicament is clear—only a win will do against Australia.

They have a positive net run-rate (+0.254, to be precise) to help their cause, should the group end with a logjam on four points.

Friday's fixture may not only be their last in the event, but it could also be the final outing of Shahid Afridi's international career, per Cricket Australia on Twitter:

However, history offers some hope for Afridi and his side. Pakistan boast a winning record against their next opponents in T20 cricket, recording seven victories in 13 previous meetings.

Key Players

Australia

Steve Smith has so far managed 20 runs from 20 deliveries in the tournament. Australia will want more from their skipper, particularly as he is batting at three in the order.

The 26-year-old has managed just one half-century in 23 T20 knocks for his country.

His career average is 19.36, a low number for a man who has been prolific in Test and one-day cricket at the highest level.

Pakistan

If Shahid Afridi is to extend his international career for another match (if you actually believe he won't be tempted to carry on playing, of course), he needs to lead from the front with ball and, more importantly, bat.

He rolled back the years in hitting 49 from just 19 deliveries in the triumph over Bangladesh, having promoted himself up the order.

Pakistan need him to produce something similar against Australia, although he averages just 14.16 against them with the bat in his T20 career.

Squads

Australia

Steve Smith (capt), Ashton Agar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, John Hastings, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Peter Nevill (wk), Andrew Tye, Shane Watson, David Warner, Adam Zampa

Pakistan

Shahid Afridi (capt), Anwar Ali, Wahab Riaz, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Amir, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Nawaz, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), Umar Akmal, Mohammad Sami, Sharjeel Khan, Khalid Latif, Ahmed Shehzad

All stats used in the preview are from ESPN Cricinfo