Australia suffer huge blow ahead of Champions Trophy 2025

Australia will be without key pace bowlers Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood for the upcoming Champions Trophy due to ongoing injuries, selection chair George Bailey confirmed on Thursday.

Both players have not recovered in time for the tournament, with Cummins managing an ankle issue and Hazlewood rehabbing from a hip injury.

Mitchell Marsh is also sidelined with a back injury, and Marcus Stoinis has announced his retirement from ODI cricket, further depleting Australia's squad.

As a result, Australia will need to make at least four changes to the 15-man squad named on January 13.

Australia has until February 12 to finalize the squad, the same day they begin an ODI series against Sri Lanka in Colombo.

Three new pace bowlers—Sean Abbott, Spencer Johnson, and Ben Dwarshuis—have been added to the squad, along with spin options Tanveer Sangha, Cooper Connolly, and batter Jake Fraser-McGurk.

Selectors are expected to include two of the new pace bowlers in the final squad, with Fraser-McGurk likely replacing Marsh. Connolly could take Stoinis' spot, leaving Aaron Hardie as the only remaining seam-bowling allrounder in contention.

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With both Cummins and Marsh unavailable, Australia will also need a new captain for the Sri Lanka ODIs and Champions Trophy. Steven Smith and Travis Head are the leading candidates for the role.