Melbourne [Australia], January 13 (ANI): Pat Cummins headlines Australia’s preliminary 15-player squad for the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, marking his return as captain. Cummins will lead the team in Pakistan but will miss the upcoming Test tour to Sri Lanka later this month due to an ankle injury, iCC Cricket reported.
The squad features maiden ICC event call-ups for Matt Short and Aaron Hardie, along with the inclusion of pacer Nathan Ellis. These three replace David Warner, who has retired, Cameron Green, sidelined due to back surgery, and Sean Abbott.
Ellis earned his spot after an impressive Big Bash League season with the Hobart Hurricanes, who secured a place in the tournament finals. Short and Hardie, both versatile all-rounders, add depth to the squad. Ellis, a reliable pacer, can handle both opening and death-overs duties in white-ball cricket.
Short has been a consistent presence in Australia’s ODI setup since Warner’s retirement in November 2023. Hardie, too, has contributed with 11 appearances in the 50-over format.
“It offers a variety of options for touring management depending on the opposition and the conditions that may present in Pakistan,” said selection chair George Bailey, as quoted by ICC.
Australia, who last won the Champions Trophy in 2009, will kick off their campaign against arch-rivals England in Lahore on February 22, followed by a clash with South Africa in Rawalpindi on February 25, and their final group-stage match against Afghanistan in Lahore on February 28.
Pat Cummins’ availability was under scrutiny, with his wife Becky expecting their second child during the Sri Lanka Test tour in late January. Moreover, it was revealed that Cummins managed an ankle issue during Australia’s triumphant Border-Gavaskar Trophy series earlier this year.
Joining Cummins in his return is Josh Hazlewood, who was sidelined mid-series against India due to a calf injury. Like Cummins, Hazlewood will not travel to Sri Lanka.
“This is a balanced and experienced squad with the core having been involved in the previous one-day World Cup, the West Indies series, last year’s successful tour of the UK and the more recent Pakistan home series,” Bailey noted.
Australia will aim to end their 15-year Champions Trophy drought, having previously claimed the title in 2006 and 2009.
Australia preliminary squad: Pat Cummins (c), Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa. (ANI)
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