Australia Faces Leadership Crisis as Cummins Unlikely for ICC Champions Trophy 2025
Australia has been hit with a major blow ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, as captain Pat Cummins is reportedly "heavily unlikely" to travel to Pakistan for the tournament starting on February 19. His absence comes after all-rounder Mitchell Marsh was already ruled out, leaving the team with a leadership dilemma.
Cummins, who led Australia to a dominant Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) victory last month, skipped the Sri Lanka Test series for the birth of his second child. He is also recovering from an ankle issue caused by his heavy workload during the BGT. According to head coach Andrew McDonald, the team is now considering Steve Smith and Travis Head as potential replacements for the captaincy.
Adding to Australia’s troubles, pacer Josh Hazlewood is also in a race against time to recover from a hip injury. His fitness concerns come after missing several matches due to previous side and calf injuries.
With Cummins and Marsh sidelined, selectors might look at players like Sean Abbott and Spencer Johnson to step up. After wrapping up their Sri Lanka tour, Australia will head to Pakistan for the high-stakes ICC Champions Trophy, but their squad uncertainties could prove to be a major challenge.