There were doubts about Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood’s participation in the Champions Trophy, and those concerns have now been confirmed. Both players will miss the tournament, bringing the total number of players ruled out from Australia’s 15-member squad to four. Cricket Australia (CA) has officially confirmed the news.
Cummins and Hazlewood sustained injuries during the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Cummins has not yet recovered from his ankle injury, while Hazlewood’s condition is even more severe, suffering from discomfort in his hip and muscle strain in his leg. Although he is feeling slightly better, the Australian pacer is not fit enough to compete in the Champions Trophy.
In addition to these two, two more Australian players have also been ruled out. A few days ago, all-rounder Mitchell Marsh withdrew from the tournament due to an injury sustained while batting on a pitch. Meanwhile, fellow all-rounder Marcus Stoinis has retired from ODI cricket.
Australia’s chief selector, George Bailey, stated, “Unfortunately, Pat (Cummins), Josh (Hazlewood), and Mitch (Marsh) are dealing with injuries and won’t be fit in time for the Champions Trophy. While their absence is disappointing, it presents a great opportunity for other players to step up and perform for Australia in this global event.”
Australia will begin their Champions Trophy campaign on February 22 in Lahore against their arch-rivals, England. Before that, they will play two ODIs against Sri Lanka on February 12 and 14 in Colombo.
