Australia Announces Squad for 2025 ICC Champions Trophy with Surprises

Cricket Australia has announced their squad for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy with some surprises. The Australian team will be led by Pat Cummins in Pakistan, and fast bowler Josh Hazlewood will join the squad after recovering from injury. This will be the first time that Matt Short and Aaron Hardy have been called up for an ICC tournament.

There were concerns about Australian captain Pat Cummins' participation in the Champions Trophy due to injury, and he was also absent from the upcoming Sri Lanka tour. However, Cummins will make his return for the Champions Trophy. Hazlewood, who is also recovering from injury, was not named in the Sri Lanka series but will be part of the Champions Trophy squad.

As usual, Australia has opted for a pace-heavy squad, with Cummins, Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Nathan Ellis in the lineup. The only specialist spinner in the squad is Adam Zampa.

Chief selector George Bailey commented on the squad selection, stating, "This squad has been created with key players from the most recent ODI World Cup, the successful tours of England and the West Indies last year, and our recent home series against Pakistan. Considering the conditions and the opponents in Pakistan, the team management will have a variety of options to build the playing XI."

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