With the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 set to begin on February 19, Australia faces a major setback as four key players have been ruled out.
Captain Pat Cummins, Mitchell Marsh, Josh Hazlewood and Marcus Stoinis will all miss the tournament, forcing the team to make some major changes. Stoinis’ sudden retirement from ODI cricket just days before the tournament has further added to the team’s challenges.
Cricket Australia has officially confirmed that Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood will not be available for ICC Champions Trophy 2025 due to injuries sustained during Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India. Both players were also absent from the ongoing Test series against Sri Lanka, with Cummins dealing with an ankle injury and Hazlewood yet to recover from a calf strain.
Adding to the surprise, Marcus Stoinis announced his retirement from ODI cricket just 13 days before the Champions Trophy, expressing his desire to focus on T20 cricket. His last ODI appearance came against Pakistan in November last year.
With four players missing, Australia now faces the tough task of finding suitable replacements to fill the gaps.
Chairman of Selectors George Bailey acknowledged the setback, stating that while the absence of Cummins, Hazlewood, and Marsh is disappointing, it presents an opportunity for other players to step up on the global stage.
Players who can replace Pat Cummins as Australia captain in ICC Champions Trophy
Steve Smith is a strong contender to lead Australia in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. With extensive captaincy experience, he is currently leading the team in the Test series against Sri Lanka. In ODIs, Smith has previously captained Australia in 59 matches, securing 31 wins and suffering 25 losses, resulting in a win percentage of 52.54. His leadership skills and experience makes him a viable option to step in as Australia captain for ICC Champions Trophy 2025 tournament.
Travis Head was one of Australia’s top performers in 2024. Though his international captaincy experience is limited – having led Australia in one T20I, which ended in a loss – he has captained 27 List A matches with a win rate of 44.44%. With Pat Cummins ruled out, Head and Steve Smith are the leading contenders to take over the captaincy for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
Veteran pacer Mitchell Starc emerges as a strong candidate to lead Australia in ICC Champions Trophy 2025. With Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood unavailable, Starc will be key in spearheading the bowling attack.Â
