Pat Cummins to Lead; Australia Announce Preliminary ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Squad

Amid much speculation, Pat Cummins has been included and he would lead the Australian side at the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Claiming it to be a balanced and an experienced squad, chief selector George Bailey said that the core is identical to the previous ODI World Cup . For the unversed, Australia won the 2023 ODI World Cup in India under the leadership of Pat Cummins. 

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‘This is a balanced and experienced squad’

"This is a balanced and experienced squad with the core having been involved in the previous one-day World Cup, the West Indies series, last year's successful tour of the UK and the more recent Pakistan home series," said chief of selectors, George Bailey.

"It offers a variety of options for touring management depending on opposition and the conditions that may present in Pakistan."

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AUSTRALIA PROVISIONAL SQUAD

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

The ICC mandated the eight participating nations must name their preliminary 15-man squads five weeks prior to the start of the tournament on February 19, but teams are permitted to make changes until a week before the first game. Any changes after that date require ICC approval.

Australia have been drawn in Group B alongside Afghanistan, England and South Africa, with all their round robin matches to be played in Pakistan at Lahore and Rawalpindi.

Meanwhile, India will play all their matches in Dubai, which will also host the first semi-final, following an ICC announcement in December they and Pakistan will play their matches at neutral venues for global events hosted by their rival for at least the next three years.