Australia have announced a 15-man starting squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 to be hosted by Pakistan from February 19 as Pat Cummins will lead the 2006 and 2009 champions.
There were concerns about Pat Cummins’ availability when it was recently announced that he would miss the Test squad in Sri Lanka later this month due to an ankle injury, but he has now has been named as the captain and will lead Australia in the tournament.
His wife Becky is expected to give birth to the couple’s second child when Australia’s Test team tour Sri Lanka in late January. It was recently revealed that he suffered an ankle injury during his side’s victorious Border-Gavaskar Test series in Australia.
Pat Cummins’ fellow fast bowler Josh Hazlewood, who was ruled out of Australia’s Test series against India midway through with a calf injury, will also return.
Quick Nathan Ellis has also secured a berth while Matt Short and Aaron Hardy have been called up for their first team for the ICC event.
He is the three replacements for Shaun Abbott, Cameron Green (back surgery) and David Warner (retired) in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 winning team.
“It presents different options for the touring management depending on the opposition and the conditions in Pakistan,” Australian selectors chief George Bailey said.
“This is a balanced and experienced squad with the core of the previous ODI World Cup, West Indies series, last year’s successful tour of Great Britain and the recent Pakistan home series,” Bailey said.
Australia will begin their campaign against arch-rivals England on February 22 in Lahore.
The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 kicks off on February 19 in Karachi with Pakistan, the host and defending champions, New Zealand.
Australian squad
Pat Cummins (c), Alex Carey (wk), Nathan Ellis, Aaron Hardy, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Ingles (wk), Marence Lebes Shagen, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stones, Adam Zampa.