Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood Officially Ruled Out of Champions Trophy

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Australia has suffered a major blow just two weeks before the ICC Champions Trophy. Captain Pat Cummins and fast bowler Josh Hazlewood have been officially ruled out of the tournament due to injuries.

Injury Concerns for Australia

Cummins will miss the tournament due to an ankle injury he sustained during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India. Hazlewood, on the other hand, has been ruled out with a hip issue.

“Unfortunately, Pat, Josh, and Mitch are managing some ongoing injuries and haven’t recovered in time for the Champions Trophy,” said chief selector George Bailey, as quoted by cricket.com.au. “While disappointing, it does present a great opportunity for other players to perform for Australia in a world event.”

With Cummins unavailable, Australia will need a new captain for the Champions Trophy. Either Steve Smith or Travis Head is expected to lead the side. Interestingly, the last time Smith captained Australia in an ICC event was the 2017 Champions Trophy.

Apart from Cummins and Hazlewood, Mitchell Marsh has also been ruled out. Marcus Stoinis has retired from ODIs and opted out of the tournament. This means Australia will have to announce four replacements before the tournament begins.

Australia’s Preliminary Squad for Champions Trophy

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

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