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4 players Australia should bring into their 2025 Champions Trophy squad

Charbel Coorey
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4 players Australia should bring into their 2025 Champions Trophy squad

It has been an eventful week in Australia’s ODI setup, with four Champions Trophy squad replacements required. Pat Cummins (ankle), Josh Hazlewood (hip) and Mitchell Marsh (back) are all injured, while Marcus Stoinis announced his retirement from the format.

So, should Australia opt for like-for-like replacements (i.e. two fast bowlers and two seam-bowling all-rounders), or look for a different approach? Before we have a look at who Australia should bring in and why, here is a reminder of the preliminary squad minus the four absentees.

Australia’s preliminary squad for the Champions Trophy (with four players to be added): Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa

Who should Australia bring into their Champions Trophy squad? 4 candidates

Australia play their group games at Lahore (against England and Afghanistan) and Rawalpindi (against South Africa). Both grounds are typically paradises for batting in the white-ball formats, which should get Australia thinking about wicket-taking pace-bowling options.

Spencer Johnson

Spencer Johnson would offer Australia plenty of value. A strike bowler who can deliver in the powerplay and death overs, Johnson has risen up the ranks in recent times following years of struggle with injuries.

Whether Johnson makes the playing XI is cause for debate, but with Mitchell Starc’s heavy workload in recent times, having a backup option who is capable of performing is key.

What may work against Johnson is he has only two ODIs and ten List A games of experience under his belt. However, the Champions Trophy is a short tournament where he can contribute when needed.

Alternative option: Lance Morris

Xavier Bartlett

Australia will be without Josh Hazlewood’s accuracy and quality in the powerplay. One bowler who could be a handy replacement is Xavier Bartlett, who enjoyed a terrific start to his ODI career against West Indies in February 2024.

Bartlett swings the ball up top and can give Australia a foothold in their contests on good batting pitches. Plus, he can be called upon at the death to deliver yorkers alongside Starc and (likely) Nathan Ellis.

Alternative options: Sean Abbott or Riley Meredith

Cooper Connolly

Australia are currently without a left-arm spin option in their squad. If conditions aid spin throughout the tournament, Cooper Connolly is a player the Aussies will be happy to turn to as a player who can deliver a few overs and bat down the order.

Connolly is coming off an excellent BBL 2024/25 season where he showed plenty of maturity with the bat. He also became Australia’s 471st Test player in Sri Lanka, with the team management impressed with his bowling consistency at training.

Alternatively, Australia could look at add another specialist batting option. According to a report by CODE Sports, Jake Fraser-McGurk is expected to be picked in the squad. However, if Fraser-McGurk is indeed picked in the XI, it would be a risk given he is yet to nail his technique and tempo in the 50-over format.

Alternative options: Jake Fraser-McGurk or Mitch Owen

Will Sutherland

With Marcus Stoinis or Mitchell Marsh unavailable, Australia need a capable bowling option in the middle overs. Will Sutherland’s bowling is his strength as he hits the pitch hard and can generate movement with the newer ball.

Sutherland, who has two ODIs under his belt, offers an alternative option to Aaron Hardie, who kisses the surface more in comparison. If Australia do opt for Sutherland in the XI, he could offer good value with the bat down the order and with the ball throughout the innings.

Alternative option: Beau Webster

Australia possible XI with these four players added to the squad: 1. Travis Head, 2. Matthew Short, 3. Steve Smith (c), 4. Marnus Labuschagne, 5. Aaron Hardie/Alex Carey, 6. Josh Inglis, 7. Glenn Maxwell, 8. Mitchell Starc, 9. Nathan Ellis, 10. Adam Zampa, 11. Spencer Johnson/Xavier Bartlett

Reserves: Will Sutherland, Cooper Connelly, Alex Carey/Aaron Hardie, Xavier Bartlett/Spencer Johnson

Australia’s first match of the 2025 Champions Trophy will be against England on 22nd February in Lahore. Pakistan are the defending champions, having won the title in 2017.

Reactions to Steve Smith’s 36th Test century: “Greatest batter of this era”

Charbel Coorey
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Reactions to Steve Smith’s 36th Test century: “Greatest batter of this era”

Steve Smith has produced another masterful knock, notching up his 36th Test century in a superb show in Galle. In very humid conditions, Smith provided another reminder of his prowess against spin, picking length and using his feet to great effect to drive Australia into an extremely strong position at the end of day two of the second Test against Sri Lanka.

Now, only four players – Sachin Tendulkar (51), Jacques Kallis (45), Ricky Ponting (41) and Kumar Sangakkara (38) – have more Test centuries than Smith. Also, no player has more centuries after 206 innings, with Smith going level with Joe Root and Rahul Dravid in 36 and 48 fewer matches respectively.

The landmarks don’t end there. Smith now has the most Test runs in Asia of any Australian in history, going past Ricky Ponting’s 1,889. He also has the most centuries by an Australian in Asia, with seven out of his 18 away tons achieved on this continent. Also, Smith is one of five players who have batted 100 times in Tests to average 57 or more.

These are wonderful numbers for a wonderful player. Sri Lanka often looked helpless against him, with Nishan Peiris (and Joel Wilson) coming so close to dismissing the skipper, with one delivery missing the stumps by a whisker off Smith’s attempted drive. Other than that, Smith was in total control.

Smith played the anchor role as Alex Carey went on the charge. Australia’s keeper-batsman was superb in notching up his second Test hundred, finishing the day on 139* at a strike rate of 89.10. Not only was Carey strong on the sweep, but he was also excellent in front of square either side of the wicket, with Dhananjaya de Silva and his bowlers quickly running out of ideas.

Steve Smith notches up his 36th Test century: Fans and pundits praise Australia’s great batter

Steve Smith’s 36th Test hundred drew widespread reactions. His ability to score in different conditions was a common theme in the praise, with many fans believing this is why he should be considered the best Test batter of this generation.

Australia finished day two on a dominant 330/3, leading by 73, driven by Smith and Carey’s unbroken 239-run stand. The objective now for Australia is to bat well, bat once and seal the series 2-0. With Smith and Carey in such form, it almost seems inevitable.

Matt Prior calls Liam Livingstone out after latest disappointing dismissal

Charbel Coorey
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Matt Prior calls Liam Livingstone out after latest disappointing dismissal

Liam Livingstone is under the pump after his latest disappointing dismissal at an important time.

England were in a tricky predicament in the first ODI against India, five down for 183 in the 36th over with wickets in hand crucial for a late push. Livingstone, who was struggling against Harshit Rana, decided to charge down the track and play a wild hoick to the legside, and was caught behind by KL Rahul for five off 10 balls.

Livingstone came in for criticism, with his lack of game awareness under the microscope. However, England as a unit will be wanting more from their top six, especially when it comes to converting their starts. Four such players crossed 30, but none went past 52.

Liam Livingstone needs to put his ego aside – Matt Prior

Former England keeper-batsman Matt Prior praised Jacob Bethell for the kind of composure he showed while expressing his disappointing around Livingstone’s decision-making under pressure.

“Steve [Finn] and I were talking off air about Livingstone, as an example, who’s played a lot of cricket now and you think, can you put your ego to one side and actually make good decisions under pressure?”, Prior said on TNT Sports, as quoted by Wisden.

“Bethell I thought showed the more experienced batter how to play in that situation and tried to get your foundation.”

Livingstone was originally left out of the ODI series against Australia in September last year after a disappointing World Cup and series against West Indies in 2023. However, he was picked against Australia courtesy of Jos Buttler’s injury, and showed what he could do as a finisher.

He also followed that up with 124* off 119 balls in the second ODI in West Indies in November 2024. But, England would want greater consistency, especially if he’s required to bat earlier in the innings.

England were eventually bowled out for 248 in Nagpur. Despite taking a few early wickets, India chased down the target with ease, reaching 251 with four wickets and 68 balls to spare.

Matt Short interview: Travis Head takes the pressure off

Arvind Kalyana Krishnan
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Matt Short interview: Travis Head takes the pressure off

The recently-concluded Australian Cricket Awards 2025 saw some of the top players of the country attend one of the most prestigious award ceremonies in Australia’s sporting industry. Despite the absence of most of the star Aussie players due to their ongoing series in Sri Lanka, the annual awards saw several cricketing athletes attend the event.

Australia’s rising star Matt Short was one among them. It is safe to say that Short has been in superb form of late. His career has seen an upward trajectory in the recent past with the batting all-rounder more or less sealing a spot in Australia’s white-ball side.

During an exclusive interview with Arvind Kalyana Krishnan during the Australian Cricket Awards 2025 in Melbourne for CricBlog, Short drew light on his current form, as well as his rise in international cricket. The opener spoke about how he received a lot of moral support from his partner, which subsequently enabled him to further establish himself in the cricketing world

Matt Short also had a lot of good things to say about Travis Head. He praised the left-handed batter, and drew light on how it feels to open the batting with him. Short stated that it was always “entertaining” to bat alongside the 2025 Allan Border Medal winner.

It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that Head has been in the form of his life in recent years. Moreover, several cricket pundits feel that Head is currently one of the best players going around. Besides, with Mitchell Marsh injured, there’s a good chance Head and Short will open the batting for Australia during the upcoming Champions Trophy.

Matt Short interview: Travis Head almost guarantees the team gets off to flyer

Below is the audio and transcript of our interview with Matt Short.

Arvind Kalyana Krishnan: Your meteoric rise in the last 12 months has been very nice. So if you were to summarise this season, what were you to say?

Matt Short: Yeah, it’s been a busy sort of 12-18 months. Probably 2 years to be fair. Actually, it’s funny….When I met my partner Madi, I sort of wasn’t playing any international cricket, or any cricket overseas or any tournaments. So when we met, it was like I told her that I’d be in Melbourne and not much travel and yeah, since meeting her it’s almost like skyrocketed. With trips overseas and sort of new teams and trips overseas and different tournaments around the world here and there. So it’s definitely been a big couple of years. Yeah, and also pretty busy with the young fellow. The 5-month-old back at home.

Arvind Kalyana Krishnan: Yeah, and Australia have Head (Travis Head) at the top, and there’s a huge likelihood that you can open with Head. So what goes through your mind when you open with Head, who’s been so good?

Matt Short: Yeah, it’s a pretty cool experience, actually. I’ve done it in Adelaide Strikers as well. So, had a bit of a taste of it with him. So yeah, when you’re standing on the other end with Trav, it’s pretty entertaining. He certainly takes a lot of the pressure off myself. A lot of the boys that bat with him…..you know you can sort of guarantee that he gets the team off to a flyer and kind of get to play that second fiddle when he’s out there. So yeah, hopefully get the opportunity to again bat with him and yeah, we’ll see what happens.

Australia’s Champions Trophy campaign kicks off on Saturday February 22 against archrivals England at Lahore.

Ravi Shastri warns against India picking Jasprit Bumrah for the 2025 Champions Trophy

Charbel Coorey
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Ravi Shastri warns against India picking Jasprit Bumrah for the 2025 Champions Trophy

Former India all-rounder and coach Ravi Shastri has warned against risking Jasprit Bumrah in the upcoming Champions Trophy. Bumrah suffered back spasms during the final Test of the 2024/25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where he bore the brunt of the workload.

Bumrah took 32 wickets at 13.06 in one of the great performances by any touring bowler in Australia. However, he sent 151.2 overs down as India turned to him time and again to keep them in the contest. The sheer volume saw him break down at Sydney, where he did not bowl in the second innings.

It’s high risk playing Jasprit Bumrah in the Champions Trophy – Ravi Shastri

Shastri believes it would be unfair to call on Bumrah to deliver straight away. Although he’s been named in India’s preliminary Champions Trophy squad, the fast bowler will not feature in the three-match ODI series against England starting February 6.

“I think it’s high risk. There’s too much big cricket coming up for India,” said Shastri to Sanjana Ganesan on The ICC Review.

“And at this stage of his career, I think he’s too precious to be just called on for one game out of the blue and asked to deliver.

“The expectations will be so much. They’ll think that he’ll come in straight away and set the world on fire. It’s never that easy when you come back from injury.”

However, Shastri admitted India’s chances of winning the trophy would take a huge hit if Bumrah is out. The star bowler is a matchwinner at all stages of the innings, especially at the death.

“Bumrah not fit will reduce India’s chances [of winning the Champions Trophy] by 30%, literally by 30-35%,” Shastri said.

“With a fully fit Bumrah playing, you are guaranteed of those death overs. It would’ve been a different ball game altogether.”

Fitness of Mohammed Shami key for India

Mohammed Shami, who missed the Border-Gavaskar Trophy due to injury, returned to action for India in the recent T20I series against England. He has been named in India’s ODI squad against the same opponent, and Shastri believes India will need to keep a close eye on how he pulls up after bowling more overs.

“It will be interesting to see if India play him out in all three, or they give him the first one and the third one, and then ease him into the Champions Trophy,” Shastri said.

“But he’ll be watched very closely because 10 overs is totally different to four overs, and then you’re going to see how he pulls up in the field as well having bowled those 10 overs.”

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting echoed the thoughts around Shami’s importance. Also, Ponting believes Shami’s absence down under put almost all of the responsibility on Bumrah to deliver.

“My biggest concern about India when they came for Australia in the Test series was Bumrah not having Shami there as a backup and him having to burden most of the load,” Ponting said on The ICC Review.

“And that’s probably what happened, and might even have something to do with why he [Bumrah] got hurt. He probably ended up having to bowl a bit more in that series with Shami not being there.

“If Shami’s fit, that’s a positive.”

India play three ODIs against England at Nagpur, Cuttack and Ahmedabad before their first match of the Champions Trophy against Bangladesh in Dubai on February 20.

Australia predicted XI for 2nd Test against Sri Lanka at Galle

Charbel Coorey
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Australia predicted XI for 2nd Test against Sri Lanka at Galle

Despite a massive win in the 1st Test, Australia are considering changes for the 2nd Test also in Galle. Australia’s team combination worked nicely in the opening clash and more of the same is expected, but there could be a personnel change or two.

According to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald, Australia are set to replace Beau Webster or Todd Murphy with Cooper Connolly on a Galle surface expected to turn even more. The move would be harsh on Webster who enjoyed an excellent debut against India last month, but Connolly’s spin – which Steve Smith was in praise of on match-eve – could sway the selectors.

Predicted XI for Australia for 2nd Test: Potential debut & Marnus seems safe, for now

1. Usman Khawaja, 2. Travis Head, 3. Marnus Labuschagne, 4. Steve Smith (c), 5. Josh Inglis, 6. Alex Carey (wk), 7. Beau Webster, 8. Cooper Connolly, 9. Mitchell Starc, 10. Nathan Lyon, 11. Matt Kuhnemann

Marnus Labuschagne’s place in the XI was under threat after struggling on the first day of the series. Legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay had his number as Labuschagne fought hard for 20 off 50 balls in an innings where Usman Khawaja (232), Steve Smith (141) and Josh Inglis (102) all scored tons in Australia’s highest-ever total in Asia.

With one hundred in his past 49 innings, there have been calls for Labuschagne to make way. However, Smith confirmed the top order would remain the same, backing Australia’s number three to come good.

“I can’t see the top six changing, I daresay that’ll be the same,” said Smith, as quoted by The Roar.

“(Labuschagne) played nicely at the back end of the summer, he looked like he was putting the pressure on the bowlers a little bit more. 

“The more difficult the wicket is in terms of how much it’s spinning, the more aggressive you have to be with your batting and the more proactive you have to be.

“He understands that, he understands spin and angles as good as anyone. I don’t think he’s far away from a good score.”

Who would Cooper Connolly come in for?

Another point of conjecture for Australia is who Cooper Connolly would replace. Beau Webster was not called on with the ball in the opening Test, but he provides the kind of batting depth that may be required on a turning pitch. So, Todd Murphy, who played third fiddle to Nathan Lyon and Matt Kuhnemann, could make way, as reported by CODE Cricket.

Replacing Murphy with Connolly may be seen as risky given the latter is yet to take a First Class wicket. However, Smith said Connolly’s consistency at training has been impressive, and such bowling can be rewarded on a helpful surface.

“He was pretty consistent when he was bowling in Dubai [in the training camp] and in the nets here,” Smith said. “That’s kind of all you’ve got to do in these conditions, just try and bowl as many good balls in a good area and let the conditions take over.”

A win or draw would seal Australia’s first series win in Sri Lanka since 2011. Also, Australia have won just one series in Asia overall since that triumph 14 years ago – against Pakistan in 2022.

In fact, Australia have not won two Tests in a series in Asia since beating Bangladesh 2-0 in 2006; the tour most remembered for Jason Gillespie’s double century. This represents a great opportunity, but expect Sri Lanka to fight back hard in Dimuth Karunaratne’s 100th and final Test.

Timing of 2025 Allan Border Medal criticised with men’s team in Sri Lanka

Charbel Coorey
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Timing of 2025 Allan Border Medal criticised with men’s team in Sri Lanka

None of Australia’s men’s Test players will be in attendance for the 2025 Allan Border Medal. The awards, which takes place on Monday February 3 at Melbourne’s Crown Casino, have been labelled as “meaningless” from corners of the media, with fans also questioning the timing given the current tour of Sri Lanka.

According to The Age, Cricket Australia (CA) spoke with broadcasters and the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) about holding the awards in January. But, given the Belinda Clark Award is to be announced on the same night, CA decided to lock in February 3 as the official date.

2025 Allan Border Medal to take place without top men’s players

Kane Cornes from Sports Entertainment Network (SEN) was scathing in his review of the 2025 Allan Border Medal. He likened the situation to an AFL Brownlow Medal night without the top contenders present.

“It’s like having the Brownlow Medal and the top eight fancies are ineligible,” Cornes said on SEN, as quoted by news.com.au.

“Even the rusted-on SEN lovers of cricket if you asked them ‘Hey list me off the last five AB medal winners I don’t reckon they could do that’.

“It is the most meaningless award. It just doesn’t mean anything.”

Joel Morrison, head of events at CA, said finding a window where everyone is available was too difficult a task.

“The difference this time will be the fact that the men’s Test team will be over in Sri Lanka. That’s a reflection of the evolution of the global game and the increasing playing opportunities overseas while the awards are on,” Morrison told The Age.

“This is the first time where we literally haven’t been able to find a window where all players can be in the one location at the one time, without conflicting with a BBL game and still holding it in the thick of the cricket season as opposed to at the end of the season for club and state cricket in March.

“It’s the first time we haven’t been able to have the men’s Test team there, but we’ll have our Australian women’s team, WBBL and BBL players, and men’s white-ball players as well.”

Travis Head and Annabel Sutherland tipped to take out top awards

Travis Head and Annabel Sutherland are tipped to win the Allan Border Medal and Belinda Clark Award respectively. Head has struck 1,427 runs across formats since January 2024. Ashes Test hero Sutherland has cemented herself as one of Australia’s top all-rounders.

Head, or any other Australian men’s Test player for that matter, will accept the 2025 Allan Border Medal virtually. This includes Pat Cummins, who is currently in Sydney with a newborn.

Here is the full list of awards to be presented. The awards will be broadcast on Foxtel and Kayo at 8pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT).

  • Allan Border Medal
  • Belinda Clark Award
  • Shane Warne Test Player of the Year
  • Men’s ODI Player of the Year
  • Women’s ODI Player of the Year
  • Men’s T20I Player of the Year
  • Men’s Domestic Cricketer of the Year
  • Women’s Domestic Cricketer of the Year
  • Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year
  • Betty Wilson Young Cricketer of the Year

Reactions to Abhishek Sharma 135 off 54 balls and India’s 150 run win vs ENG in 5th T20

Charbel Coorey
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Reactions to Abhishek Sharma 135 off 54 balls and India’s 150 run win vs ENG in 5th T20

There aren’t many better sights in T20 cricket than when Abhishek Sharma gets going. His latest exploits – a magnificent 54-ball 135 at the Wankhede – made a mockery of an England side that aspires to perform well at the T20 World Cup in India in a year’s time.

Abhishek’s second T20I century won’t be his last if he keeps batting like this. As one of the centrepoints of India’s all guns blazing approach, the left-hander went on a rampage, smashing the most sixes in a single innings by an Indian (13) and finishing with a strike rate of 250.

On the way, the opener blazed India’s second-fastest T20I century off 37 balls, only behind Rohit Sharma’s 35-ball innings against Sri Lanka in 2017. Also, his 135 is India’s highest-ever individual score in men’s T20Is, beating Shubman Gill’s 126* against New Zealand two years ago.

Abhishek Sharma scored 38 more runs than the entire England team did. Despite an excellent onslaught by Phil Salt, the visitors lasted just 10.3 overs, bowled out for 97 to lose by their biggest-ever margin in T20Is.

Reactions: Abhishek Sharma & India hammer England at the Wankhede

The fourth T20I was controversial with the concussion rule a major topic. The fifth was not even a contest. England tried to recover after India ran rampant, but they were never in the game.

Man of the series Varun Chakravarthy made an immediate impact with the ball as the wickets were shared right around. Abhishek Sharma himself took two wickets in an over to complete a dream night, while Shivam Dube (2/11) also had an excellent outing.

“Well played @IamAbhiSharma4! That’s where I want to see you! Proud of you,” tweeted former cricketer and Abhishek’s mentor Yuvraj Singh. Here are some reactions to India’s huge win.

New Zealand 2025 Champions Trophy SWOT Analysis: Can the Black Caps go all the way?

Sparsh Telang
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New Zealand 2025 Champions Trophy SWOT Analysis: Can the Black Caps go all the way?

New Zealand 2025 Champions Trophy squad: Mitchell Santner (c), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Kane Williamson, Will Young

NZ Predicted Starting XI: Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, William O’Rourke

New Zealand in ODIs since the 2023 World Cup

  • Matches played: 9
  • Matches won: 4
  • Matches lost: 4
  • No result: 1
  • W/L ratio – 1.000
  • Batting run rate – 5.82

Most runs for NZ in ODIs since the 2023 World Cup:

  1. Will Young (RHB): 456 runs, AVG: 65.14, SR: 93.63, 100s: 1, 50s: 3
  2. Mark Chapman (LHB): 272 runs, AVG: 45.33, SR: 99.27, 100s: 0, 50s: 3
  3. Rachin Ravindra (LHB): 178 runs, AVG: 29.66, SR: 117.88, 100s: 0, 50s: 1

Most wickets for NZ in ODIs since the 2023 World Cup:

  1. Jacob Duffy (right-arm pace): 11 wickets, AVG: 23.90, ECO: 5.47
  2. Matt Henry (right-arm pace): 9 wickets, AVG: 10.33, ECO: 3.72
  3. Will O’Rourke (right-arm pace): 8 wickets, AVG: 31.62, ECO: 5.60

New Zealand Champions Trophy 2025 Analysis: How far can the Black Caps go?

Santner Leads New Zealand Through Transition

New Zealand is in a transition phase, with Mitchell Santner taking over the captaincy from Kane Williamson. Santner will lead New Zealand for the first time in a global event and will be able to draw on the experience of players like Williamson and Tom Latham.

The veteran pace duo of Tim Southee and Trent Boult have retired from international cricket. The absence of the latter, in particular, means New Zealand faces a downgrade in their new-ball wicket-taking ability, which has long been one of their greatest strengths. Nevertheless, the Black Caps still possess the resources to navigate this change, and with their knack for punching above their weight in ICC tournaments, they could sneak their way into the last-four stage of the competition.

An in-depth look at the New Zealand squad for the 2025 Champions Trophy: Can the Mitch Santner led team go all the way?
New Zealand 2025 Champions Trophy Analysis: Can the Black Caps replace Trent Boult effectively?

Rising Young Talent in New Zealand’s Pace Attack

With Ben Sears and Will O’Rourke, New Zealand boasts two young fast bowlers known for their pace and ability to extract bounce.

“He’s one of those guys who, when you look at places like Pakistan, pure speed is what you’re looking for, and he certainly has that. A young tearaway is always exciting to see, and we’re very pleased to have him in the squad,” said Head Coach Gary Stead, speaking about Ben Sears.

Nathan Smith, another promising young cricketer, could prove to be a valuable seam-bowling option. He is also a useful lower-order batsman.

With Sears, O’Rourke, and Smith included, there was no place in the main squad for Jacob Duffy, despite his breakthrough season in international white-ball cricket.

“It’s a tough decision,” Stead said. “Jacob Duffy has been probably the one that people would say is hard done by. He’s been very very good in what he’s played for us. I think the way to look at it, though, is that if some of these guys, perhaps like a Lockie Ferguson, were available, Jacob Duffy may not have got the opportunity, so for us it’s a real positive story that although Jake’s missed [out], it’s still positive that we’re growing that depth long-term for our team.”

Meanwhile, the responsibility falls on Matt Henry, who’s averaging 23.8 in ODIs since 2020, to lead the pace attack. Lockie Ferguson, now one of the more experienced bowlers in the set-up, will add extra pace to the arsenal.

An in-depth look at the New Zealand squad for the 2025 Champions Trophy: Can the Mitch Santner led team go all the way?

A potential concern for New Zealand is Matt Henry’s injury history. If New Zealand were to lose him, they’d not only be without a high-quality new-ball bowler – a department already weakened by Boult’s retirement – but they’d also be forced to rely on a largely inexperienced pace unit. While O’Rourke has shown promise, he still grapples with control issues, and this new-look attack could struggle, especially in Asian conditions.

New Zealand also lacks elite death bowling, which could pose a significant challenge if they fail to pick wickets with the new ball or during the middle overs.

Spin Depth: A Solid Core, but Missing a Wrist Spinner

The skipper, Mitchell Santner, who can also provide valuable lower-order runs, will lead the spin attack.

Santner has mastered the art of subtle variation, combined with unwavering control. Among contemporary fingerspinners, few vary their pace as much as he does, ranging from the mid-70s to the upper 90s. The dip he obtains causes the ball to pitch slightly shorter than the batter expects, often enticing a false shot. Additionally, he uses the crease cleverly and varies his release angle to keep batters guessing. All of this makes him a bowler to watch out for on the slower pitches of Asia, as he demonstrated in the 2023 World Cup, where he was New Zealand’s highest wicket-taker.

Glenn Phillips, now an improved spinner, and Michael Bracewell, another all-rounder, will join him in the spin department. Rachin Ravindra, who sent down 65.4 overs in the 2023 World Cup, will provide a fourth option. There’s a strong possibility that all four could feature together in the same XI.

One small point, however, is that they lack a wrist spinner in the squad, which could limit their wicket-taking ability in the middle overs, particularly if opposition teams navigate the Powerplay with minimal damage.

New Zealand’s Batting Blueprint

The batting unit will once again centre around Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, and Devon Conway. Tom Latham will take on wicketkeeping duties. There are no changes from the 2023 World Cup, though the in-form Will Young could potentially replace Conway in the XI, given Conway’s recent dip in form.

Daryl Mitchell is one of the world’s best No. 4 batters in this format. Since the start of 2023, he has accumulated 947 runs at an average of 45.09 and a strike rate of over 100, including 3 centuries and 3 half-centuries while batting at No. 4 in ODI cricket.

He has excellent ability against spin; able to play square of the wicket on both sides with sweeps and reverse sweeps, and can launch powerful sixes down the ground. Since the start of 2023, he has scored over 500 runs at an average of 56.67 and a strike rate of 96.23 against spin in the middle overs (11-40) in ODI cricket.

Latham, who plays the sweep shot effectively, is also a solid player of spin, averaging over 50 against spin in ODIs in Asia. Along with Mitchell and Williamson, they form a strong and reliable middle order for New Zealand.

While New Zealand’s lower order isn’t the most dynamic against pace, it remains competent and functional. Phillips has the power, and Bracewell can also prove to be dangerous, as demonstrated by his impressive record in the limited sample of 101 balls faced in overs 41-50 against pace in ODIs, where he scored 185 runs, getting out just twice (AVG: 92.5, SR: 183.2). Santner at No. 8 adds further depth to the lineup and has the ability to chip in with impactful cameos, as he showed against the Netherlands in the World Cup match in Hyderabad.

New Zealand 2025 Champions Trophy SWOT Summary

STRENGTHS:

  • Strong and experienced middle-order batting.
  • Dynamic bowling duo in the middle overs; high-pace hit-the-deck (Ferguson) and left-arm spin (Santner).
  • Proven track record of coming together as a unit and punching above their weight in ICC tournaments.

WEAKNESSES:

  • Vulnerability in death bowling.
  • Absence of a wrist spinner, limiting their wicket-taking ability in the middle overs.
  • Lower order’s limited range and potential struggles against high-quality pace.

OPPORTUNITIES:

  • Early big tournament exposure and opportunity for young pacers like Sears, O’Rourke and Nathan Smith to establish themselves.
  • Potential for Santner to grow into his role as a captain and build a new era of New Zealand cricket.

THREATS:

  • Injury to injury prone Matt Henry could severely impact bowling resources.
  • Pressure on inexperienced bowlers in high-stake tournament matches.
  • Potential challenges for young pacers adapting to subcontinental pitches and conditions.

Written by Sparsh Telang. Follow on X on @_cricketsparsh

ICC tournaments 2025 schedule: Big trophies up for grabs again

Charbel Coorey
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ICC tournaments 2025 schedule: Big trophies up for grabs again

2025 signals a fresh start for many individuals around the world with new year resolutions commonly put into action at this time of the year. For the cricket world however, the action simply continues. After a raft of scintillating cricket played over the festive period predominantly in Australia and South Africa, the eyes of those in the cricketing world quickly turn to another action-packed 2025 schedule. There is lots of cricket to come throughout the year in all corners of the world and in all formats and here are a few highlights to keep an eye out for.

A look at the ICC tournaments for 2025

ICC Champions Trophy 2025

It has been a lengthy eight years since the last ICC Champions Trophy took place in England in 2017. Back then, Pakistan secured a magnificent 180-run victory over arch-rivals India to lift the trophy and have remained reigning champions for a near decade after the 2021 edition of the ICC Champions Trophy was scrapped to make way for a T20 World Cup.

While the much-awaited return of the tournament in February is already causing excitement amongst cricket fanbases worldwide, there has been a bit of needle and contention surrounding the tournament taking place in Pakistan. Due to political tensions between India and Pakistan, the Indian government informed the ICC that their team will not travel to Pakistan to play matches.

As a result, the United Arab Emirates has been added as a host for the tournament. The Dubai International Cricket Stadium will act as a neutral venue for India’s matches, including their group stage match against Pakistan on 23rd February. Despite the controversial shadow cast on the tournament, many are expecting hard-fought and big scoring matches from all the eight nations involved. Whether we will have another blockbuster Pakistan versus India final again remains to be seen.

  • Group A: Bangladesh, India, New Zealand, Pakistan
  • Group B: Afghanistan, Australia, England, South Africa

World Test Championship Final

The teams for the WTC final have been decided. Australia will take on South Africa in a one-off test match at Lords for the right to be named the best Test nation in the world. Although there is some conjecture as to how South Africa got to the final, with no regular rotation of Test matches between each nation organised by the ICC, these two nations will face off over five days (with a reserve day) starting on 11th June.

ICC tournaments 2025: Australia sealed qualification to the WTC Final with a 3-1 win over India.

Australia secured their place in the event by lifting the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in ten years after defeating India 3-1 in a pulsating Test series in Australia. South Africa followed suit over the festive period, beating Pakistan 2-0 in a two-match Test series, with a nail-biting two-wicket win in the Boxing Day Test ultimately putting one foot in the WTC final door.

Some of the best reactions to South Africa qualifying for the WTC Final following a memorable two-wicket win over Pakistan.
ICC tournaments 2025: South Africa were jubilant after sealing qualification.

The contention however arises from the way Test matches are scheduled and how certain matchups contribute to the overall table. South Africa finished top of the league table, despite only playing 12 tests compared to the 17 Australia played and the whopping 22 contested by England, who finished in 6th position.

While marketing and economic factors play a huge role in determining which Test matches are scheduled, with India consistently bringing huge value and appeal from their fervent fanbase, South Africa reached the final without having to face Australia or England, also facing India (1-1), Pakistan (2-0), and Sri Lanka (2-0) on home soil.

There is no blame attributed to South Africa of course, if any blame can be placed at all. South Africa are still worthy opponents for Australia who themselves are coming up to a transition period.

Women’s Cricket World Cup

In the women’s game, the next edition of the World Cup will take place between August and September 2025. The 13th edition of the tournament will be played in India, with similar neutral venue arrangements to the ICC Champions Trophy to be put in place in the event of Pakistan qualifying for the tournament. Pakistan missed out on a direct passage and will have to go through qualification to make the main event.

Australia will be looking to retain the trophy they won in 2022 when Meg Lanning’s side defeated England by a convincing 71 runs in Christchurch to secure their seventh World Cup success. In the history of the competition, only Australia (7), England (4), and New Zealand (1) have lifted the trophy. However, India Women will be looking to make home advantage and conditions count to win their first WWC trophy.

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