New Zealand bowling great Tim Southee predicted compatriot Kane Williamson and Australia Travis Head to finish at the top rungetters in the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025.
The showpiece event, which was last hosted by England in 2017, is set to be played in Pakistan and Dubai from February 19 to March 9.
Southee felt both Williamson and Head have played like playing on sub-continental pitches over the years and expected them to flourish in the upcoming tournament. Both players have played for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
“I think wickets would be pretty good in Pakistan. Kane Williamson would be up there . Just think about his ability to adapt to different conditions. We have seen his experience in different conditions, his success in different conditions and he is a guy that’s got a phenomenal one-day record,” Southee said in a video posted by the International Cricket Council.
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Williamson has 6,810 runs from 165 ODIs and has played a total of three ODIs in Pakistan scoring 164 runs with a high score of 85. His record in the UAE has been an impressive 374 runs from seven innings which includes two fifties and a hundred.
The former New Zealand captain has also appeared in the last two editions of the Champions Trophy in 2013 and 2017 and scored 345 runs from six group games including three fifties and a hundred.
Speaking of Head, Southee cited the lefthander’s heroics in the 2023 World Cup final against India where he scored a match-winning 137 and 329 runs in the entire tournament.
“Maybe Travis Head as well, I think he is a dangerous player. He has been a standout in the ODI World Cup last edition. I think he will like the wickets in Pakistan. Australia have historically been strong in the world events and I am sure they will be there near the end this time as well,” Southee said.
Head has been in superb form off late with 822 runs from 18 matches since 2023, which include three hundreds and three fifties. Head had previously played one innings in the 2017 Champions Trophy where he scored 71 not out against England in a group game.
Australia are in Group B alongside England, South Africa and Afghanistan while New Zealand are in Group A with India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
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