Mitchell Starc was one of the top names, who Australia will be missing from the Champions Trophy 2025. The Australian side has seen a major reshuffling in the last week after top names like Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Marsh were conformed to miss the Champions Trophy. Steve Smith will be the new Australia captain. To bolster the squad, Australia has brought in Sean Abbott, Ben Dwarshuis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Spencer Johnson, and Tanveer Sangha. Additionally, Cooper Connolly will travel as a reserve player.
Several reports and former player Brad Haddin said that the pregnancy of Alysa Healy, Australian cricket great and wife of Mitchell Starc, was the reason behind Starc pulling out of the Champions Trophy 2025.
But Healy has quashed the rumours. “I’m fine,” she was quoted as saying by Fox Sports. “Hadds (Brad Haddin) suggested maybe I was pregnant but I can guarantee that I’m not. Yeah we’re fine.”
Cricket Australia chair of selectors George Bailey also clarified the reason behind Starc missing the Champions Trophy 2025.
“We understand and respect Mitch’s decision,” chair of selectors George Bailey said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
“Mitch [Starc] is deeply respected for his commitment to international cricket and the priority he places on performing for Australia. His well documented ability to play through pain and adversity, as well as forgoing opportunities in other parts of his career to put his country first should be applauded. His loss is of course a blow for the Champions Trophy campaign but does provide an opportunity to someone else to make a mark on the tournament.”
Fraser-McGurk, who has a modest ODI average of 17.40 from five matches but impressed with a 95 off 46 balls in the Big Bash League (BBL) for Melbourne Renegades, adds depth to the top order following Marsh’s absence. Johnson, a left-arm pacer, offers a like-for-like replacement for Starc, though he is yet to take a wicket in his two ODI appearances. Meanwhile, leg-spinner Sangha, who was already with the Test squad in Sri Lanka as a development player, will partner with Adam Zampa as the team’s second frontline spinner.
“The squad has changed significantly over the past month on the back of some untimely injuries and the retirement of Marcus Stoinis,” Bailey said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.
“The upside of that is that we have been able to call on players who have had international exposure and success over the past 12 months,” he added.
“A strong core of some our most experienced players will provide a strong foundation in our attempt to win this edition of the Champions Trophy. We have a range of options to shape the playing XI within the tournament depending on the opposition and conditions we face,” he said.
With ANI inputs
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