Mitchell Starc Bows Out, Australia Scrambles for Captaincy and Squad Stability
Australia's preparations for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 have taken a serious hit. Mitchell Starc, the side's premier fast bowler, has pulled out of the tournament. Not only did he struggle with an ankle injury picked up during the Sri Lanka Test series, but he also cited personal matters, putting his family and long-term career above one white-ball tournament. Starc's no stranger to playing hurt, and he's rarely missed a global event without good reason. But now, with the World Test Championship Final in June and a West Indies tour right after, he’s clear on what matters most: red-ball dominance.
Chair of selectors George Bailey stood squarely behind Starc. No arm-twisting. No drama. Instead, praise for Starc’s grit and his habit of putting the team before himself. Bailey made it clear that the door is open for Starc when he’s fit, underlining that Australia still counts on him for Test cricket’s biggest moments. But right now, the white-ball squad will simply have to adapt.
But Starc’s withdrawal is just the start of the story. Australia’s Champions Trophy squad already looked threadbare. Pat Cummins, last seen captaining in high-pressure games, is out injured. Josh Hazlewood, that reliable workhorse, is also out of the frame. Mitchell Marsh was set to step up—then he too landed on the injury list. Marcus Stoinis, a familiar presence in the Aussie middle order, has just hung up his boots in ODI cricket. It’s a list that would give any captain a headache, never mind a new one stepping in with limited preparation time.
Steven Smith — typically calm, unflappable, but no longer Australia’s regular ODI leader — is now handed the captaincy. He needs to pull together a young, patched-up side and somehow guide them through the high-stakes tournament. The selectors have named a final squad: Smith as captain, along with 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, and Adam Zampa. Plenty of fresh names, plenty of question marks, and plenty of opportunity for anyone willing to grab it.
The Stakes Rise as Australia Chases Redemption
This edition of the Champions Trophy isn’t just another box to tick for Australia. Since 2009, they’ve come up short in this competition and in other limited-overs knockout tournaments. While Australia’s Test side has stayed on top, their one-day run has been more erratic, with old heads moving out and new blood yet to find its footing in the spotlight.
The lack of experience could be a two-sided coin. On the one hand, there are nerves. On the other, nothing to lose. Players like Jake Fraser-McGurk, already a firecracker in domestic cricket, now get their shot on the big stage. Adam Zampa, the spinner with a knack for breakthroughs, carries extra weight as one of the senior members in a much younger group. Steve Smith, for all his experience, faces perhaps the trickiest leadership test of his career—holding together a group missing its most powerful voices in the dressing room.
You can bet all eyes will be on how this squad reacts. History says Australia never lies down at world tournaments. But with Starc, Cummins, and Hazlewood all sitting out, and the team’s backbone looking stretched, this Champions Trophy feels like a real trial by fire—one that could define the next era of Aussie white-ball cricket.
