Pat Cummins, the Australian captain is highly unlikely to play in the Champions Trophy after Josh Hazelwood is also in doubt. He is recovering from an ankle injury which makes him not fit to bowl, while the vice-captain Mitchell Marsh was already ruled out of the tournament because of a back injury.
Head coach Andrew McDonald when asked about the situation said, “Patty is hugely unlikely, which is a bit of shame, and we’ve also got Josh Hazlewood, who is battling [to be fit] at the moment,”
“Pat Cummins hasn’t been able to resume any type of bowling, so he’s heavily unlikely, so that would mean that we do need a captain,” he added
This leaves the Australian team in a desperate situation to look for a captain. The tournament starts on 19 February and will conclude in March, and the absence of both the captain and the vice-captain can prove to be a major setback for the team. Australia will now need a new captain, and here is what the coach has to say,
“Steve Smith and Travis Head are the two that we’ve been having conversations with while we’ve been building out that Champions Trophy team along with Pat back home. They’ll be the two that we look at for that leadership post.” McDonald told the radio station SEN. Steve had already captained the team in the Test in Sri Lanka when Cummins missed it due to work-life balance.
Also Read: ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Suresh Raina Predicts Rohit Sharma’s Final ICC Tournament As Captain
Meanwhile, here are the top 3 players who could possibly replace Pat Cummins as players.
Pat Cummins’ Void: Top 3 Players to Fill The Gap
- Jason Behrendorff: Jason is a left-arm fast-medium bowler who has made significant contributions to the team. He took 5 wickets against England in the World Cup 2019. He’s known for his swing deliveries and effectiveness as a bowler due to his height being 6 feet 4 inches.
He took 17 wickets in the recent Big Bash League (BBL) season 2024-25 where he also earned a spot in the BBL Team of the Year. He was also honoured as the T20 International Player of the Year in 2024 making him one of the best contenders in the Champions Trophy team.
Tom Rogers (PC: Shepparton News) - Tom Rogers: Thomas Stewart Rogers is a left-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-fast bowler. He’s known for his all-rounder role as he is significantly good with both bat and ball. He has played 67 games in T20 matches with 314 runs with a highest score of 49. He also took 79 wickets which is one of the best bowling figures.
This year, he played the innings of a lifetime and scored 196 runs which is also the sixth-highest score in Australian one-day history. He has received Player of the Match thrice in BBL and is also an outstanding wicket teacher as he collected 20 wickets in the same tournament.
Riley Meredith (PC: ESPNCricInfo) - Riley Meredith: He is right right-handed batsman and right-arm fast bowler who is currently playing for Hobart Hurricanes. He’s known for his fast pace bowling and his personal best is 4 wickets at just 12 runs. He has also been a consistent performer in BBL and IPL.
In the recent BBL season, he took 3 wickets for 36 runs on January 14. As of 2025, he has played 6 T20s taking 9 wickets. He has consistently proven himself to be a strong contender for the position.
