Australia faces England in their Champions Trophy 2025 opener at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore but will be without key bowlers Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc.
Both Cummins and Hazlewood are out of the tournament due to injuries. Cummins is still recovering from an ankle injury he suffered during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25, while Hazlewood has a hip issue after dealing with previous injuries.
Without Hazlewood, Australia loses a bowler who is renowned for his accuracy, and Cummins’ absence not just weakens their bowling but also leaves a gap in leadership. As Australia’s ODI captain, he played a key role in guiding the team to their 2023 Cricket World Cup victory.
Starc has withdrawn from the Champions Trophy 2025 for personal reasons and has asked for privacy. He returned home after the Test series against Sri Lanka and did not play in the ODI series. National selector George Bailey admitted that his absence is a big loss but appreciated his commitment to Australian cricket.
“We understand and respect Mitch’s decision,” Bailey said. “His well-documented ability to play through pain and adversity, as well as forgoing opportunities in other parts of his career to put his country first, should be applauded.”
ALSO READ:
Australia will also be without Mitchell Marsh and Marcus Stoinis for the Champions Trophy 2025. Marsh is sidelined due to a recurring back injury that has troubled him throughout the season. He missed the Sydney Test against India and played only one Big Bash match afterward because of the issue.
Marcus Stoinis retired from ODI cricket only two weeks prior to the tournament, although he was in the squad. His primary motivation for retiring was to concentrate more on T20 cricket so that he could play for a longer time in the shortest form and find more opportunities in different leagues.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram, and YouTube.
