Pat Cummins Out From Champions Trophy?
Australian captain Pat Cummins was deemed “heavily unlikely” to play in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, adding to the team’s growing injury concerns.
Australia’s preparations for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 have taken a major hit, with captain Pat Cummins unlikely to travel to Pakistan for the tournament, which begins on February 19. This comes as another setback for the team, following the unavailability of all-rounder Mitchell Marsh.
The 31-year-old Cummins, who recently led Australia to a 4-1 Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) victory over India, had already missed the Test series against Sri Lanka due to the birth of his second child. Additionally, he has been dealing with an ankle injury aggravated by a heavy workload during the BGT.
Australia’s head coach Andrew McDonald confirmed Cummins’ unavailability, stating that the team is now considering alternative leadership options. “Pat Cummins hasn’t been able to resume any type of bowling, so he’s heavily unlikely, so that would mean that we do need a captain. Steve Smith and Travis Head are the two that we’ve been having conversations with while we’ve been building out that Champions Trophy team along with Pat back home. They’ll be the two that we look at for that leadership post,” McDonald told SEN.
Apart from Cummins and Marsh, Australia also faces uncertainty over fast bowler Josh Hazlewood, who is racing against time to regain full fitness. Hazlewood is struggling with a hip issue after recovering from side and calf injuries, which had ruled him out of three of the five Tests against India and the entire Sri Lanka tour.
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The absence of key players has forced Australian selectors to explore backup options. Pacers Sean Abbott and Spencer Johnson, who were not part of the Sri Lanka tour, could now find a place in the squad. Following the two-match Test series in Sri Lanka, Australia is set to play a one-off ODI before heading to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy.
Meanwhile, Cricket Australia has yet to announce a replacement for Mitchell Marsh. Seam-bowling all-rounder Beau Webster, who is uncapped in ODIs, is currently part of the Sri Lanka tour. However, Aaron Hardie and Marcus Stoinis, both in the squad, are also battling injury concerns, further complicating Australia’s selection decisions.
Last Updated on February 5, 2025