Australia faces player shortages ahead of Champions Trophy
Australia's Champions Trophy hopes are in jeopardy with key players Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood likely to miss the tournament due to injuries, prompting the need for alternatives.
Australia will need additional players for its upcoming Champions Trophy campaign, as Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood are likely to miss the tournament due to injuries.
Cummins is sitting out of the Aussies' tour of Sri Lanka due to the birth of his child, while also managing an ankle issue sustained during the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Hazlewood has not played any cricket since withdrawing from the Gabba Test.
Despite being named in Australia's squad for the tour of Pakistan, coach Andrew McDonald has expressed doubts about their participation. "At the moment, Pat Cummins hasn't been able to resume any type of bowling, so he's heavily unlikely," McDonald told SEN.
This situation necessitates a captain, with Steve Smith and Travis Head being the top candidates for leadership roles in the absence of Cummins. McDonald noted, "Steve has done a great job here in the Test match; he's done excellent work in One-Day International cricket as well."
With Hazlewood also dealing with issues that are separate from those that affected him during the Aussie summer, additional adjustments to the squad may be required.
Tanveer Sangha has been brought over to Sri Lanka purely as a development player, but McDonald indicated he would be considered for Australia's upcoming One-Day Internationals ahead of the Champions Trophy.
The injuries to Cummins and Hazlewood come after Mitchell Marsh was ruled out of the tournament due to a back injury. Additionally, Marcus Stoinis has experienced hamstring tightness during recent franchise cricket in South Africa.
Following the recent victory in Galle, McDonald mentioned that Test all-rounder Beau Webster is a candidate for inclusion in the squad. Australia has until February 12 to finalise its Champions Trophy roster.
