Australia names Pat Cummins as captain for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 scheduled to be from February 19 in Pakistan and UAE.
| Photo Credit: Vijay Soneji

Pat Cummins will captain Australia at the Champions Trophy after being named in a preliminary 15-man squad also featuring fellow quick Josh Hazlewood on Monday (January 13, 2025).

Cummins will skip the test series in Sri Lanka in January and early February for personal reasons but will return to Australia’s colours for the one-day international tournament being played in Pakistan and United Arab Emirates from Feb. 19.

Hazlewood missed the last two tests in the recent series triumph over India because of calf and side injuries but will reunite with Cummins and Mitchell Starc in the pace attack that has helped Australia to multiple successes over the last decade.

There was no place in the squad for opener Jake Fraser-McGurk, who has been short of runs, but otherwise the squad had a familiar feel with all but three of the team that won the 50-overs World Cup in 2023 included.

All-rounders Matt Short and Aaron Hardie as well as quick bowler Nathan Ellis are the least experienced international players in the squad with less than a dozen ODIs each.

“This is a balanced and experienced squad,” head selector George Bailey said in a news release.

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

The Champions Trophy, which Australia won in 2006 and 2009, was last played in 2017.

The ninth edition of the tournament will run from Feb. 19 to March 9 mostly in Pakistan with only the matches involving India taking place in the UAE for political reasons.

Australia have been drawn with Afghanistan, England and South Africa for the opening group stage.

Squad:

Pat Cummins (captain), Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitch Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa.

New Zealand 15-man squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 being announced in Wellington on January 12, 2025. Photo: X/@BLACKCAPS

Fast bowlers Lockie Ferguson and Ben Sears were recalled to New Zealand’s 15-man squad on Sunday (January 12, 2025) for the Champions Trophy next month in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.

Ferguson is no longer contracted to New Zealand Cricket and missed the home series against Sri Lanka which finished on Sunday, (January 12, 2025) while playing in Australia’s Big Bash League.

Sears was a traveling reserve for last year’s Twenty20 World Cup but missed New Zealand’s test series in India in November and the first half of the domestic season with a knee injury. He returned from injury on Thursday in a T20 match for Wellington province.

Sears, Will O’Rourke and Nathan Smith have been named to play at their first ICC tournament but Jacob Duffy, who was outstanding in the T20 and one-day international series against Sri Lanka, has been named as a traveling reserve.

“ICC tournaments represent the pinnacle of our game and it’s a huge honor to be picked to represent your country at them,” coach Gary Stead said.

“I’d especially like to acknowledge Ben, Nathan and Will, who will be attending their first senior ICC events and I know they’re really excited to do so.”

The pace attack is led by the experienced Matt Henry and Ferguson, who has played in two T20 and two ODI World Cups.

The experience of the squad is also bolstered by captain Mitchell Santner, wicketkeeper-batter Tom Latham and former captain Kane Williamson, who played in the last Champions Trophy in 2017. Williamson also played in the 2013 edition.

Santner will be leading New Zealand to a major tournament for the first time. He offers a spin bowling option along with Michael Bracewell, Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra.

The batting lineup is a strong one with Devon Conway, Will Young, Ravindra, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell and Williamson providing depth and experience.

“Although the Champions Trophy hasn’t been played for a few years, the team is well aware of the history of the tournament and the fact New Zealand were the first winners of the tournament in 2000 when it was known as the ICC KnockOut Trophy,” Stead said.

“We’re currently blessed with a lot of quality players and that certainly made for some challenging selection discussions. Ultimately, we’ve gone with the squad that will offer us the best options to perform well in the expected conditions in Pakistan and the UAE.” New Zealand will prepare for the tournament with a warmup tri-series against Pakistan and South Africa in Karachi and Lahore and a warmup match against Afghanistan in Karachi.

The Champions Trophy is contested by the top-eight ranked men’s ODI teams in world cricket.

The squad

Mitchell Santner (capt), 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.