Mitchell Starc withdraws his name from the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 due to personal reasons. He recently played both the Test matches in Galle, but now he will not take part in the tournament. Out of respect for his decision, Cricket Australia has not provided any additional information. Stark has requested to maintain his privacy.
There has been a big change in the team after Mitchell Starc’s Withdraws his name. Steve Smith has been given the responsibility of captaining the team. The team has performed well under Smith’s captaincy in the past too, so Australia expects good leadership from him.
The team has also suffered a setback due to the injury of Mitchell Marsh and the retirement of Marcus Stoinis. In place of these two players, new faces have been given a chance in the team. The selectors have included Ben Dwarshuis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Spencer Johnson, Tanvir Sangha and Sean Abbott in the 15-man squad.
Cooper Connolly has been placed as a traveling reserve. If any player gets injured or the need arises, Connolly can be included in the team.
It will be interesting to see how the Australian team will perform in the absence of Mitchell Starc. Young players have got a chance in the new team, who will work hard to prove themselves.
Australia squad: Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Matthew Short, Adam Zampa. [Travelling reserve: Cooper Connolly]
“We understand and respect Mitch’s decision,” chair of selectors George Bailey said. “Mitch is deeply respected for his commitment to international cricket and the priority he places on performing for Australia.
“His well documented ability to play through pain and adversity, as well as forgoing opportunities in other parts of his career to put his country first should be applauded.
His loss is of course a blow for the Champions Trophy campaign but does provide an opportunity to someone else to make a mark on the tournament.”
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Steve Smith has been given the captaincy of the Australian team in place of Pat Cummins and Mitchell Marsh. Recently, under the captaincy of Smith, Australia registered a spectacular 2-0 victory in the Test series against Sri Lanka. After his victory, he has now been made the captain in ICC Champions Trophy 2025 also.
Jake Fraser-McGurk, who is an explosive batsman, has been included in the squad by Australia to strengthen the top order. The specialty of his aggressive batting is that he scored 95 runs on 46 balls for Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League (BBL). He can prove to be a good top order option in the absence of Mitchell Marsh.
Sean Abbott and Spencer Johnson have been called in to strengthen the fast bowling attack. The special thing is that Spencer Johnson is a left-arm fast bowler, who can become a good option in the absence of Mitchell Starc. Although Johnson has not been able to take any wicket in the two ODIs played so far, the team has high expectations from him.
Australia has also included Tanvir Sangha in the team. He is a leg spin bowler and along with Adam Zampa will strengthen the team’s spin attack. Sangha was already present in Sri Lanka as a development player with the Test team. Now he has got a place in the main ODI team.
Ben Dwarshuis, who has played only one ODI, has also been included in the squad. With this, Australia is trying to have options ready in every department so that the team looks balanced and strong.
“The squad has changed significantly over the past month on the back of some untimely injuries and the retirement of Marcus Stoinis,” Bailey said. “The upside of that is that we have been able to call on players who have had international exposure and success over the past 12 months.
“A strong core of some our most experienced players will provide a strong foundation in our attempt to win this edition of the Champions Trophy. We have a range of options to shape the playing XI within the tournament depending on the opposition and conditions we face.”
