Melbourne/Galle: The pace duo of skipper Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood joined the injured list while all-rounder Marcus Stoinis shockingly called it quits from ODIs to vacate his place as Australia’s Champions Trophy squad unravelled just days before the tournament.
The eight-team Champions Trophy begins on February 19 and Australia have until February 12 to make at least four changes to their provisional squad of 15 after Cummins and Hazlewood joined all-rounder Mitchell Marsh in the injured category.
Complicating matters was Stoinis, who declared on Thursday that he would no longer play the ODI format to “fully focus on the next chapter” of his career, which might mean freelancing in T20 leagues. The 35-year-old, who has never played Tests, was picked in the provisional squad and will remain available for national duty in T20 Internationals.
Cummins has not recovered from the ankle niggle that plagued him towards the end of the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series against India, while Hazlewood is still recuperating from a calf strain.
Hazlewood’s last competitive outing was against India in the drawn third Test in Brisbane.
The turmoil has hit the country’s national selectors just days before the quadrennial showpiece gets underway from February 19. While India will play all their matches in Dubai owing to security concerns, Australia will be based in Pakistan, the original hosts of the event.
“Unfortunately Pat, Josh and Mitch are managing some ongoing injuries and haven’t come up in time for the Champions Trophy,” national selection panel chairman George Bailey said in Galle, where the team is playing the second Test against Sri Lanka right now.
“While disappointing, it does present a great opportunity for other players to perform for Australia in a world event,” added Bailey.
In the absence of Cummins, either Steve Smith or Travis Head could lead the reigning ODI World Cup winners.
Stoinis’ sudden decision to call it quits might be a result of a hamstring injury that he sustained during the ongoing SA20, where he has been playing for Durban Super Giant.
“Playing ODI cricket for Australia has been an incredible journey, and I’m grateful for every moment I’ve had in the green and gold. Representing my country at the highest level is something I’ll always cherish,” said Stoinis in a media release issued by Cricket Australia.
“This wasn’t an easy decision, but I believe it’s the right time for me to step away from ODIs and fully focus on the next chapter of my career,” he declared without elaborating any further.
“I’ve got a fantastic relationship with Ron (head coach Andrew McDonald) and I’ve hugely appreciated his support. I’ll be cheering the boys on in Pakistan,” he added.
The team is scheduled to begin its Champions Trophy campaign against old foes England on February 22 at Lahore, followed by matches against South Africa (February 25, Rawalpindi) and Afghanistan (February 28, Lahore).
McDonald lauded Stoinis’ contribution to the team’s ODI set-up since coming in a decade ago.
“Stoinis has been such a pivotal part of our ODI setup for the past decade. Not only has he been an invaluable player but also an incredible person to have in the group. He
“He is a natural leader, an exceptionally popular player and a great person. He should be congratulated on his ODI career and all of his achievements.”
Stoinis, who was named country’s ODI cricketer of the year in 2018-19, has played 71 one-dayers and made 1495 runs with a hundred and six fifties. His ODI career began against England in 2015 at Old Trafford and he went to be a part of Australia’s World Cup-winning squads in both the T20 (2021) and ODI formats (2023).
Cummins and Hazlewood, both world-class fast bowlers in their own right, will need an extended period of rehabilitation before they receive the green signal to return to play.
This also puts their involvement in the Indian Premier League, which follows the mega ICC event, in doubt. The IPL is scheduled to start on March 23.
Cummins is set to lead Sunrisers Hyderabad, while Hazlewood was bought by Royal Challengers Bengaluru for Rs 12.50 crore in the players’ auction last year.
Australia’s next international assignment after the upcoming Champions Trophy is the World Test Championship (WTC) final against South Africa at Lord’s in mid-June, and the team would be keen to field their best XI in the title game.
