There are four major voids in Australia's Champions Trophy squad that need to be filled
Australia are in a sticky situation ahead of the Champions Trophy. That doesn’t even describe half of the things that went bad for them.
There were already doubts over the fitness of Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins after the Border Gavaskar Trophy against India. Hazlewood had suffered a recurring calf injury during the series and had to sit out for the final Test in Sydney. Cummins, meanwhile, had confirmed that he will be missing Australia’s two Tests against Sri Lanka because he was awaiting the birth of his child. Later, it was revealed that Cummins was also suffering an ankle injury which put his participation in the Champions Trophy in doubt.
On Wednesday, Australia coach Andrew McDonald had confirmed Cummins’ absence by saying “highly unlikely” about him being fit. Meanwhile, Hazlewood might just be in contention but he will not take part given Australia’s history of protecting their pacers.
Another worst news was the fast-bowling all-rounder Mitchell Marsh suffering from severe back pain which forced Cricket Australia to confirm that he wasn’t playing.
The biggest bombshell was the non-participation of another fast-bowling all-rounder Marcus Stoinis as he bids goodbye to ODIs.
The omens are all bad for the ODI world champions, but we take a look at four players who could provide cover for the quartet.
Replacing the young batter for a fast-bowling allrounder like Mitchell Marsh might seem like a square peg in a round hole, but Australia right now need a player who can accelerate from the get-go and the subcontinent conditions in Pakistan will suit Fraser-McGurk.
The 22-year-old has had the experience of playing in the UAE with the International League T20 and in India with the Indian Premier League. Even though his five ODI appearances haven’t yielded anything eye-catching, Fraser-McGurk might just be a wild card in the Champions Trophy.
When Spencer Johnson bowls with his high arm release, it almost feels like the ball is gliding through the air. The left-armer can make the new ball dance which is one of the primary reasons he is a good replacement for Cummins.
Even though he is starting as opposed to Cummins’ vast experience, he is a good bet for the Aussies.
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His reputation in Australian domestic cricket and the Big Bash League is only growing even though he’s got just two ODIs under his belt.
Currently, the only way Australia could look at as Hazlewood’s replacement is towards Xavier Bartlett. The pacer can hit the deck in the right areas and can make the new ball do wonders with his late movement.
He was an absolute nightmare for batter last year when he debuted in ODIs against the West Indies claiming two four-wicket hauls in back-to-back games. However, he is yet to play cricket in the subcontinent so he can be a good support option to Mitchell Starc.
One of the brightest prospects for Australia off late, the 31-year-old all-rounder is late to international cricket but is proving to be a reliable option for Australia. He has played 54 List-A games for Tasmania scoring 1,317 runs from 48 innings which include a hundred and seven fifties.
Webster is the ideal replacement for the medium-pace bowling batter Stoinis who dropped the anvil on the selectors’ head at a late stage.
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