Australia vs England, Champions Trophy 2025 Playing 11: The series against India showed that England are not in the best form. (AP Photo)It’s rare for a team to announce their playing XI for a game two days in advance. But that’s just what England did ahead of their Champions Trophy opener against Australia at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.
The playing XI did reveal that wicketkeeper Jamie Smith will be tasked with batting at No. 3 for the first time in his international career. England captain Jos Buttler explained the reasoning behind Smith’s elevation. “We just feel it’s a nice position to give him a free hit to try and really impact the game, make that that top three really dynamic. Jamie’s someone with incredible talent and taken to international cricket so well that we feel he’s got the game there and can place him in that position to try and have a really big impact with a number of guys behind him,” he said.
Since he helped Australia break Indian hearts in the final of the Cricket World Cup in Ahmedabad, Marnus Labuschagne has been below par. He has averaged just 23.28 in ODIs since the start of 2024. In the recently played two-game ODI series against Sri Lanka, he did not play in the second ODI while scoring just 15 off 27 balls in the first. Australia were thrashed in both games ion Colombo by a team that did not even make the cut for the Champions Trophy. But the Australian think tank is expected to hand Labuschagne a chance to redeem himself against old rivals England.
India’s Mohamnmed Siraj reacts as Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne looks on during the World Cup final in 2023. (REUTERS)
While many teams have been hurt by injuries coming into the Champions Trophy, there is no side that has been affected as severely as Australia. The 50-over world champions are missing pacers of the calibre of captain Pat Cummins (injured), Josh Hazlewood (injured) and Mitchell Starc (personal reasons) besides Mitchell Marsh (injured) and Marcus Stoinis (retired from ODIs).
Travis Head, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Steve Smith (c), Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Alex Carey (WK), Nathan Ellis, Aaron Hardie, Sean Abbott, Adam Zampa
Phil Salt, Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith (WK), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler (c), Liam Livingstone, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood
Australia: Steve Smith (c), 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. Travelling reserve: Cooper Connolly.
England: Jos Buttler (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Tom Banton, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood
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