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Australia head coach Andrew McDonald has urged patience over 19-year-old youngster Ollie Peake ahead of the opening ODI against Pakistan, stressing that he is making a "significant leap" into international cricket.

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An ankle injury to Mitchell Marsh has reduced Australia's squad to just 14 available players for the opening ODI in Rawalpindi, with only seven specialist batters in contention if all-rounder Liam Scott is excluded. Scott is also expected to make his ODI debut during the series but is likely to feature in a lower-order role.

Ollie Peake was already in line for a debut during the series, but his chances have now strengthened significantly due to the shortage of top-order options. Australia may be forced to field a second stand-in opener alongside Matt Short, with both Marsh and Travis Head unavailable. Wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey could be used temporarily at the top, potentially opening up a middle-order slot for Peake at No. 5 or 6.

If he plays, the 19-year-old would become Australia's youngest ODI debutant since Pat Cummins in 2011, and the fourth-youngest overall behind Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Ray Bright.

McDonald Urges Patience for 'Significant Leap'

Speaking ahead of the series in Rawalpindi on May 30, McDonald said young players should not be burdened with excessive expectations early in their careers, adding that the focus should be on gradual development. Head coach Andrew McDonald has backed the youngster for selection despite a relatively modest domestic record and no professional centuries so far.

"Generally, when we have a young player come in, there's a rush, we build it up and we try to make it work almost. Let's just be patient. Understand international cricket is difficult and he's taking a significant leap up," McDonald said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

Focus on Long-Term Growth

The Australian coach has also called for patience around Peake's development, referencing the intense scrutiny faced by Sam Konstas after his early Test debut against India in December 2024. "I don't want to compare it to the Sam Konstas situation, all I'm saying is we sort of asked for a bit of patience around Sam. He was entering Test cricket, and Sammy will come again," he said.

McDonald suggested that Peake's early exposure to international cricket, even if followed by periods out of the side, would benefit his long-term growth. "This may be a case where Peakey gets an opportunity and then has a long break out of international cricket and then comes back in. We feel this experience at the right time across the journey should be beneficial," he added.

He further stressed that early exposure at the highest level helps players learn and return stronger in the future. "Test matches under his belt at that age, surely long term that's a good thing for us as a team and for the player in general to be exposed, learn from that, and then come again," McDonald said. (ANI)