No dead rubber for Aussies with T20 World Cup looming

Australia’s "burning desire" for improvement will be driving them in Sunday’s final Commbank T20I against Pakistan, as they look to make the most of their final official match before next month’s T20 World Cup.

The Australian and Pakistan squads arrived in Canberra on Friday ahead of the series finale at Manuka Oval, and while the hosts have already secured an unassailable 2-0 lead, allrounder Ellyse Perry insists there is still plenty to play for.

Australia depart for Cape Town on Tuesday, where they will have two warm-up games before their showdown with New Zealand in Paarl on February 11.

"There's still a high level of importance on tomorrow, certainly from just the perspective of the series, but also the bigger picture of the World Cup," Perry said in Canberra on Saturday.

"We don't have too many more games left before the first game against New Zealand in that, and a bit of an extensive travel period coming up too.

"You can't replace match time or time in the middle, no matter how competitive training is or how much time you spend in the nets.

"Being out in the middle for the whole group is so important, so to have this chance prior to the World Cup is great."

Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat in both the first and second T20Is, with Australia chasing down totals of 118 and 96 with ease.

Forecast rain in the nation’s capital on Sunday could influence decisions at the toss, but if Australia do get the opportunity to bat first, they will look to flex their deep batting line-up.

Around half of the 14-player squad trained in 35 degree heat on Saturday, and while the hosts named in unchanged XI in Sydney and Hobart, they might also be tempted to swap up the bowling attack for the finale, with Georgia Wareham, Kim Garth and Heather Graham sitting on the bench.

Australia will be vying to win their third consecutive T20 Word Cup in South Africa after claiming the trophy in the West Indies in 2018 and on home soil in 2020.

But Perry said the advancements made by their rivals over the intervening period kept the Australians on their toes, and constantly pushing for improvement.

"We've been really privileged to be in the position that we have been for a number of years," Perry said of Australia’s No.1 ranking.

"Firstly because we've got such tremendous talent in the group and more broadly in women's cricket in Australia, but also we've had the existing structures and systems to support that and the development of girls.

"So whilst acknowledging that and how fortunate we've been there, there's always a burning desire to get better and to maintain the success that we've had.

"I think slight change ups in the environment, new people in the group, people thinking about things slightly differently is really important in terms of just pushing things forward, as well as having the stability of people that have been around for a long time and who are open to change.

"We're in a nice position but there's lots of challenges ahead."

CommBank T20I Series

Tuesday Jan 24: Australia won by eight wickets

Thursday Jan 26: Australia won by eight wickets

Sunday Jan 29: Manuka Oval, Canberra, 1:45pm

Buy #AUSvPAK T20 tickets here

Australia T20I squad: Meg Lanning (c), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, Grace Harris, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham

Pakistan T20I squad: Bismah Maroof (c), Aiman Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Naseem, Fatima Sana, Javeria Khan, Muneeba Ali, Nashra Sandhu, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz, Tuba Hassan