The Australian team arrived in Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025 on Monday, February 17. The depleted Australian side arrived in Lahore as they gear up for the tournament.
"The Australian cricket team has arrived in Lahore for the @ICC #ChampionsTrophy 2025! They will play their first match of the tournament on 22 February against England at the Gaddafi Stadium," the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) posted on X.
The team reached Lahore in two batches. The first batch saw the captain Steve Smith, coaches and support staff arrive, while the second group had 15 players with two additional support staff members.
Australia are placed in Group B of the Champions Trophy alongside England, South Africa and Afghanistan. The Aussies will open their campaign against rivals England at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on February 22. They will then move to Rawalpindi for their second match against South Africa on February 25, followed by their final league stage match on February 28 against Afghanistan.
The Aussies are missing as many as six first-choice players including captain Pat Cummins and vice-captain Mitchell Marsh, both of who are injured. Josh Hazlewood and Cameron Green are also not fit, while Mitchell Starc has pulled out from the tournament due to personal reasons. The Aussies will also be without Marcus Stoinis, who has announced his shocking retirement from the ODIs.
Despite the absence of star players, former opener David Warner has backed the team to do well in the tournament. "Australia are very good in the World Cups and Champions Trophies and in tournament play. So, the Australian team knows how to win. They know how to succeed. It doesn’t matter what players they play," Warner told a virtual press conference.
The Champions Trophy 2025 will kick off on February 19, with Pakistan facing New Zealand in the opener in Karachi. India will begin their campaign on February 20 against Bangladesh, while the highly anticipated clash against Pakistan is scheduled for February 23.
Australia squad: Steve Smith (captain), 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, Adam Zampa.