Picture Credit: X
Australia was one of the first teams to announce their preliminary squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, set to be played in Pakistan and the UAE from February 19. However, the side received their first blow after Cricket Australia confirmed all-rounder Mitchell Marsh will miss the marquee tournament due to recurring back injury, the side have now received another blow.
In a big update, it is being reported that skipper Pat Cummins will also miss the tournament due to an ankle issue. Australia coach Andrew McDonald recently hinted on Pat Cummins’ absence from the Champions Trophy due to a niggle, which he has been struggling with recently.
Steve Smith or Travis Head likely to lead Australia in ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025
It is to be noted that Pat Cummins skipped Australia’s ongoing tour of Sri Lanka due to the birth of his second child with wife Becky Boston while also managing an ankle issue that worsened after the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25. However, speaking ahead of Australia’s second Test against Sri Lanka in Galle, head coach indicated that Cummins is unlikely to join the ODI squad also due to the ankle issue, thus hinting on his unavailability in the upcoming ICC major.
"Pat Cummins hasn't been able to resume any type of bowling so he's heavily unlikely, so that would mean that we do need a captain," McDonald told SEN. "Steve Smith and Travis Head are the two that we've been having conversations with while we've been building out that Champions Trophy team along with Pat back home. They'll be the two that we look at for that leadership post," he added.
"They're the two obvious ones. Steve has done a great job here in the [first] Test match. He's done some good work in one-day international cricket across the journey as well. So it's between those two,” Andrew McDonald added while hailing Smith’s captaincy.
"But, as I said, Patty is hugely unlikely, which is a bit of shame, and we've also got Josh Hazlewood, who is battling [to be fit] at the moment. So that medical information will land over the next couple of days and we'll be able to shore that up and let everyone know the direction," he continued.
Australia’s squad for Champions Trophy 2025
Pat Cummins (Captain), Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa.
