5 Australian Players Who Can Replace Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood in Champions Trophy 2025

Australia’s 2025 ICC Champions Trophy campaign stands seriously dented with their other key players, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Joshua Hazlewood, ruled out. With these injuries and the back woes of Mitchell Marsh and the ODI retirement of Marcus Stoinis, some strategy for replacements needs to be formulated for the sake of keeping the team in contention. With the tournament around the corner, much of the onus of finding willing candidates to fill the void will rest on the selection panel’s shoulders.

5 Key Replacements for Pat Cummins, Mitchel Starc, and Josh Hazlewood in Champions Trophy 2025

Aaron Hardie

• Role: All-rounder

Why he’s perfect for the role: Aaron Hardie developed an interesting combination of batting and bowling abilities so that he could compete for an injured place. That means an opportunity for both depth and flexibility with his batting and bowling contributions. He has been a right-arm medium-fast bowler, one who can bring breakthroughs, and everything associated with his aggressive batting style could bring pace to the innings.

Cooper Connolly

• Role: All-rounder

Why he is fit: Cooper Connolly is an up-and-coming young talent whose boundaries have continued to expand further through domestic cricket. Left-handed batter and spin bowler Connolly adds a different dimension to the team. His ability to accelerate his scoring and to play fearless cricket makes him a very appealing contender in the mix for the Champions Trophy. Connolly’s diversity would likely come in handy in different conditions of the match.

Sean Abbott

• Role: All-rounder

Why he is fit: Sean Abbott is a veteran all-rounder who has built up a steady reputation in Australia’s tilt towards the white-ball format of the game. A man built for pace, he swings the ball as well but has instantly modeled himself into a reliable lower-order batsman. His performances throughout this Big Bash League (BBL) played out emergency most effectively, thus making him a dependable option for the whole team. A quite possibly deciding factor in Abbott’s selection will be the experience gathered through participation in major international tournaments.

Jhye Richardson

• Role: Fast Bowler

Why he is fit: Jhye Richardson is an exceptionally gifted fast bowler who is as quick as he is aggressive. He gets this opportunity to step forward as a leader of the bowling attack with Cummins and Hazlewood missing. He has the capacity to bowl at above 140 kph consistently, and with fine wicket-taking ability, he is a valuable asset in any format.

Ben Dwarshuis

• Role: Fast Bowler

Why he is fit: Ben Dwarshuis is a left-arm fast bowler who would provide a different angle of approach. His ability to swing the ball and varying pace makes him a very tricky customer for the batters. Dwarshuis has been a consistent performer in domestic cricket, and his inclusion will lend depth and variety to the bowling attack.