Former England captain Michael Vaughan is not sure of Australia’s chances in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. He feels the absence of Mitchell Starc, regular captain Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood would impact the team, and it is going to be tough for the other bowlers to restrict the batters in Pakistan and Dubai.
Cummins and Hazlewood were ruled out due to injuries, while Starc opted out of the tournament due to personal reasons. “Australia will miss their three main pacers. Mitchell Starc is out of the tournament. Pat Cummins, their captain, who was good in the 2023 ODI World Cup, is also not there. Josh Hazlewood is missing. Their main seam attack in is not going to be in Pakistan and Dubai. It think that’s a big big blow for Australia.” he said on Cricbuzz.
Vaughan also opined on whether appointing Steve Smith as captain was the right decision or not. “It was a close call between Steve Smith and Travis Head but I think Smith’s tactical masterclass in the recent Test series in Sri Lanka and his overall experience worked in his favour. Among all the captains, Smith is tactically as good as anyone. However, with three main seamers missing, Smith will have to be at his best to take Australia to success in Champions Trophy,” he added.
Michael feels that Glenn Maxwell will be under pressure because Marcus Stoinis and Mitchell Marsh are not in the team. Stoinis announced retirement from the ODI a few weeks before the CT while Marsh was injured.
For Vaughan, Maxwell will be the player to watch out for from the Australian team. “Glenn Maxwell and Adam Zampa will be the main players for Australia, but I think a lot will depend on Maxwell’s performance. “If Glenn Maxwell doesn’t have a good Champions Trophy, Australia will not qualify for the semi-finals,” he concluded.
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