Champions Trophy: Australia’s Biggest Weakness Ahead Of The Tournament

The Champions Trophy 2025 commences on February 19, with eight teams gearing up for the prestigious tournament. Current ODI world champions and two-time Champions Trophy winners Australia will start their campaign on February 22 against their traditional, long-time arch-rivals England. Australia, who are placed in a difficult Group B, will have to contend with strong competitors in England, South Africa, and Afghanistan.

Advertisment

Following their match against England, the Aussies will take on South Africa on February 25 before their final league-stage clash against Afghanistan on February 28. Afghanistan had defeated the mighty Aussies in last year’s T20 World Cup in the Super Eight stage.

Five first-choice players have become unavailable for the Aussies to take part in the prestigious tournament, which has hampered team balance and combination to a great extent. Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Marsh are all injured with Mitchell Starc having withdrawn from the CT2025 due to personal reasons and Marcus Stoinis who had created shockwaves by announcing retirement from the ODI format just weeks before the start of the tournament.

These absences will put extra pressure on batters due to a depleted bowling lineup. Experienced batters Travis Head, Captain Steve Smith, and Glenn Maxwell - all three have to take extra responsibility in the batting line-up.

Let us take a look at the weakness of Australia Squad in the tournament-

1. Fast Bowling: Australia will be without their three frontline match-winning fast bowlers with Pat Cummins, Josh Hazelwood, and Mitchell Starc all missing the flight to Pakistan.

As these big players are not part of the tournament, there will be huge pressure on Nathan Ellis and Spencer Johnson to fill the big shoes of the big three. Batters will need to give some extra runs for their inexperienced fast bowling line-up.

Advertisment

2. Spinning Options: Australia have only two frontline spinners in their 15-member squad with Adam Zampa and Tanveer Sangha being those two options. Spin can play a big part in Asian conditions. Although they have Glenn Maxwell, who can roll his arms over, the lack of frontline spinners is a concern.

4. Captaincy factor: Pat Cummins will be dearly missed not only for his bowling capabilities but also for his Captaincy. In the last few years, he has been one of the most successful captains in world cricket by retaining the Ashes in England, winning the WTC final in 2023 and the ODI World Cup in the same year.

5. Overall Team Balance: With some crucial all-rounders not in the squad, this will have an impact on their overall 11 as the absence of all-rounder Mitchell Marsh and Marcus Stoinis can put an extra load on the inexperienced bowling line-up.

 Despite these weaknesses and concerns, the Australian team is still a formidable force with its championship-winning mentality and ruthless play.

Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at Sky247 India and download the Sky247 app to start betting today!