Mitchell Starc Withdraws from Champions Trophy; Australia Announces Revamped Squad: Australian speedster Mitchell Starc has withdrawn from the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 on medical grounds. Starc’s decision left Australia’s pace battery without its three leading pacers since Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood had previously ruled themselves out due to injuries.
The management is compiling a fresh 15-member squad for the tournament to fill the void left by the outgoing first-team members. With Steve Smith offered the captaincy in place of Cummins. Amidst other changes, Ben Dwarshuis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Spencer Johnson, Tanveer Sangha, and Sean Abbott have been recruited to the squad.
The tournament will commence on February 19, 2025, with Australia going head-to-head with England in Lahore on February 22. The absence of main Australian bowlers like Mitchell Starc, Cummins, and Hazlewood will further complicate Australia’s assertion for title contention.
Australia’s Updated Squad For Champions Trophy 2025
Steve Smith (Captain), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Tanveer Sangha, Matthew Short, Adam Zampa. Travelling Reserve: Cooper Connolly.
Also Read: ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Jasprit Bumrah Ruled Out, Harshit Rana and Varun Chakravarthy Added to India’s Squad
Chair of selectors George Bailey expressed his support for Starc’s choice, saying, “We appreciate and respect Mitch’s decision. Of course, it is a loss for the Champions Trophy campaign, but it will open the doors for someone new to leave their imprint on the tournament.”
The revamped squad now becomes a mix of old hands and the new to tackle all challenges during this tour. The selection of Dwarshuis, Fraser-McGurk, Johnson, Sangha, and Abbott is aimed at patching up both batting and bowling in the lead-up to the tournament in Pakistan and UAE.
