Australia Announces Preliminary Squad for Champions Trophy Featuring Short and Hardie

Melbourne, Jan 13 (NationPress) Allrounders Matt Short and Aaron Hardie have been included in Australia's 15-player preliminary roster for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, which is scheduled to kick off on February 19 across Pakistan and the UAE.

Josh Hazlewood and captain Pat Cummins, who were absent from Australia’s squad for the tour of Sri Lanka, have also been named, while wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey retains his position.

Matt Short, showcasing remarkable form in the Big Bash League (BBL), along with Aaron Hardie, a promising pace-bowling all-rounder, are the notable inclusions. Short has solidified his role as an opening batter since David Warner’s retirement, participating in nine of Australia’s 11 ODIs during this period. Hardie, returning from a quad injury, adds depth to both the batting and bowling lineup.

Nathan Ellis, who played a crucial role in leading the Hobart Hurricanes to the BBL 14 final, is also part of the squad. Interestingly, Jake Fraser-McGurk misses out after a poor run with the bat, with selectors choosing Short for the opening position alongside Travis Head.

Cummins, captain for both the ODI and Test formats, will lead the squad, although his participation in the tournament is uncertain due to an ankle injury. Cameron Green (back surgery) and Sean Abbott have also been left out of the squad.

The selectors have favored an all-rounder-rich lineup, featuring Mitch Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, and versatile spin options like Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne. Adam Zampa is the only specialist spinner, supported by a pace attack that includes Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Nathan Ellis.

Selector George Bailey expressed his confidence in the squad’s adaptability, stating, “This is a balanced and experienced squad with the core having been involved in the previous one-day World Cup, the West Indies series, and last year's successful tour of the UK. It offers a variety of options based on the opposition and the conditions in Pakistan.”

Australia, a two-time champion of the Champions Trophy, has been placed in Group B alongside Afghanistan, England, and South Africa. All group-stage matches will occur in Pakistan, specifically in Lahore and Rawalpindi. The top two teams from each group will progress to the semi-finals, culminating in the final on March 9 in either Lahore or Dubai.

The format of the Champions Trophy, which was last held in 2017, is concise, with 15 matches taking place over a span of two and a half weeks. Australia, the reigning champions in both the men’s and women’s ODI World Cups as well as the Under-19 title holders, will strive to complete the set of ICC’s 50-over trophies.

Before their opening match in the Champions Trophy against England on February 22 in Lahore, Australia is scheduled to play a one-off ODI against Sri Lanka in Hambantota. This match, which will take place three days after the second Test in Galle, will serve as their sole warm-up game.

Historically, seam bowlers have performed better in Pakistan, claiming 199 wickets at an economy rate of 5.77, compared to 120 wickets by spinners at 5.52 in ODIs since 2019. This trend aligns with Australia’s pace-oriented strategy, although conditions may still pose challenges for the team, especially considering their 2-1 series defeat to Pakistan during their last ODI tour of the region.

Australia's preliminary squad for the ICC Champions Trophy includes:

Pat Cummins (C), Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa.