Star Australian pacer likely to miss ICC Champions Trophy 2025

VICTORIA: Australian captain Pat Cummins is “hugely unlikely” for the Champions Trophy because of injury while fellow paceman Josh Hazlewood is also a doubt, coach Andrew McDonald says.

Cummins, who is currently absent from the ongoing Test series in Sri Lanka for the birth of his second child, is also dealing with an ankle injury.

McDonald shared that Cummins is “hugely unlikely” to feature in the tournament because he hasn’t been able to resume bowling due to the injury.

This has left Australia searching for a new captain for the event. McDonald further stated that fellow pacer Josh Hazlewood is also struggling to regain fitness, adding to the team’s injury concerns.

The team’s injury woes also extend to all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, who has already been ruled out of the tournament due to a back issue.

With Cummins’ potential absence, Steve Smith, who is currently leading the Test side in Sri Lanka, and Travis Head are emerging as potential replacements for the captaincy.

Australia’s squad for the Champions Trophy includes players : Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, and Adam Zampa.

The Champions Trophy will take place across three venues in Pakistan: Rawalpindi, Karachi, and Lahore.

Dubai International Cricket Stadium will host India’s matches, including the highly anticipated group stage clash between Pakistan and India. Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium will also host one of the semi-finals.

The defending champions, Pakistan, claimed the title in the 2017 edition, defeating India in the final under the leadership of wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfaraz Ahmed.