The upcoming ICC event will see quite a few big names missing in action, leaving their teams depleted & fans disappointed. The most affected team seems to be Australia, although some others too will need to redraw their plans
Even before a ball has been bowled in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, the absence of some major cricketers seems to have robbed the tournament of some sheen and hampered the prospects of their respective teams. Among them are some big stars too who will be watching from the sidelines. Injuries, personal reasons and even a shock retirement have colluded to rob fans of some of the game’s sought-after names, leaving teams scrambling to cobble together a squad.
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The absence of these players changes the dynamics of the tournament significantly. While some teams have found capable replacements, others will struggle to compensate for the experience and skill these players bring. As the tournament unfolds, the impact of these missing stars will be closely watched, and their teams will hope that the chosen replacements can step up on the big stage.
INDIA
JASPRIT BUMRAH : India’s pace spearhead, one of the world’s top fast bowlers, will miss the tournament due to a lower back injury sustained during the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The Indian cricket board (BCCI ) confirmed his unavailability on Feb 12, just days before the tournament begins. Harshit Rana has been called up as his replacement, but filling Bumrah’s shoes will be no easy task.
ENGLAND
- JACOB BETHELL: England’s young batting allrounder Jacob Bethell has been ruled out due to a hamstring injury sustained during an ODI against India in Nagpur. His exclusion means that England will miss out on his dynamic batting capabilities and left-arm spin on pitches known to favour the slow bowlers. Tom Banton has been brought into the squad as his replacement.
SOUTH AFRICA
- ANRICH NORTJE: South Africa’s fastbowling arsenal has taken a hit with the absence of quick bowler Anrich Nortje, who is known to bowl at speeds over the 150-kmph mark. Nortje’s back injury has troubled him since Sept 2023, and resurfaced just before the start of the SA20, South Africa’s domestic franchise-based T20 league.
- GERALD COETZEE: Coetzee, who impressed one and all during the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, will also miss the tournament. The 24-year-old is nursing a groin injury, which ruled him out of the ongoing ODI tri-series in Pakistan.
AUSTRALIA
- PAT CUMMINS: Australia’s campaign will be notably affected by the absence of their entire first-choice pace attack. The most crucial name missing is their regular captain,
Pat Cummins. Cummins suffered an ankle injury during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and has missed Australia’s entire tour of Sri Lanka. - MITCHELL STARC: Adding to Australia’s woes, left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc has withdrawn from the tournament due to personal reasons. Starc is an important cog in the Australian team’s wheel and a go-to bowler during the death overs, due to his mastery over the yorker.
- JOSH HAZLEWOOD: Hazlewood is dealing with a hip issue sustained during the Test series against India. The fast bowler is undergoing an “extended period of rehabilitation”. The setback follows his earlier struggles with side and calf strains, which had already limited his participation in Australia’s recent matches.
- MITCHELL MARSH: Allrounder Mitchell Marsh has been ruled out due to ongoing lower back pain. Despite undergoing rehabilitation, his condition did not improve sufficiently, leading to the decision to rest him for an extended period of time.
- MARCUS STOINIS: The Australian allrounder unexpectedly retired from One-Day Internationals just days ago. At 35, Stoinis decided to step away from the 50-over format to focus exclusively on T20 Internationals, thereby making himself unavailable for the Champions Trophy.
PAKISTAN
- SAIM AYUB: Promising young opener Saim Ayub has been ruled out due to a right ankle fracture sustained during the second Test against South Africa in Cape Town earlier this year. The injury occurred while fielding as Ayub twisted his ankle chasing a ball, leading to him being stretchered off the field. Following medical assessment, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced that Ayub would be sidelined for approximately 10 weeks. He is currently undergoing rehabilitation in England.
AFGHANISTAN
- MUJEEB UR RAHMAN: An integral part of the Afghanistan team, Mujeeb was ruled out after he sustained a sprain in the index finger of his bowling hand. He had suffered an injury on the same hand previously too. Mujeeb’s nonselection was a precautionary measure to ensure his complete recovery before returning to the international scene.
- ALLAH GHAZANFAR: Afghanistan’s 18-year-old spin sensation Allah Ghazanfar will miss the Champions Trophy due to a fracture in his L4 vertebra, an injury sustained during a tour to Zimbabwe in Dec last year. He has been a pivotal player of late.