3 Areas Australia Need To Work On For Champions Trophy 2025

Jatin

Austalia has lost several star players to injuries [Source: @cricketcomau/x.com]Austalia has lost several star players to injuries [Source: @cricketcomau/x.com]

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Australian cricket fans might be feeling a bit like a cat on a hot tin roof right now. With skipper Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitch Marsh out of the Champions Trophy 2025, and Marcus Stoinis announcing his retirement from ODIs, it’s fair to wonder how on earth Australia’s going to iron out the wrinkles in their campaign.

However, Australia has a long history of turning adversity into opportunity, especially on the big stage. Let’s take a closer look at 3 areas Australia need to work on for Champions Trophy 2025.

1. Rejigging The Pace Attack

Mitchell Starc will need other pacers to step up alongside him [Source: @SPORTYVISHAL/x.com]Mitchell Starc will need other pacers to step up alongside him [Source: @SPORTYVISHAL/x.com]

Why It Matters?

Australia’s fast-bowling cupboard has never been short on talent but losing two big guns in Cummins and Hazlewood could leave the attack looking leaner than a greyhound. Even though Mitchell Starc is very much around, you can’t expect him to carry the can alone, especially in pressure-cooker tournaments like the Champions Trophy.

The Key Concerns

Death-Bowling Worries: Cummins and Hazlewood are among the best at nailing yorkers and slower-ball variations in the last 10 overs. Without them, the Aussie attack might be like a ship without a rudder at the death.

Overreliance on Starc: Starc can swing it round corners early on and fire in toe-crushers at the end, but going solo across 50 overs is a tall order.

Inexperienced Reinforcements: Nathan Ellis, Aaron Hardie or other fringe quicks could step into bigger roles. They have shown potential but there’s a world of difference between domestic comps and top-tier internationals in subcontinental conditions.

What Needs Doing?

Mix-and-Match Variations: Bowlers have to use their noggin: slow bouncers, wide-line yorkers, and cunning changes of pace can stop set batters in their tracks.

Responsibility-Sharing: With no Cummins or Hazlewood, Starc can’t be the lone wolf. It’s high time fringe bowlers step up to the plate and prove they can deliver in crunch moments.

Practice Under Fire: The devil is in the details so simulating final-over showdowns in the nets could be the difference between heartbreak and heroics when games go down to the wire.

2. Shoring Up The Middle Order & Finishing Power

Glenn Maxwell is the only proven finisher [Source: @CricCrazyJohns/x.com]Glenn Maxwell is the only proven finisher [Source: @CricCrazyJohns/x.com]

Why It Matters?

Mitch Marsh’s all-round brilliance and Stoinis’s late-innings power-hitting will be missed. Glenn Maxwell can still strike a cricket ball into orbit but expecting him to deliver each time is risky business.

The Key Concerns

Lack of a True Finisher: Australia used to have a finishing queue with the likes of Stoinis, Maxwell but the queue’s getting shorter. Maxwell remains the main man but if he misfires or gets out cheaply, the tail might get exposed.

Transitioning New Faces: Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis and Matt Short are exciting prospects with muscle to burn but they are greenhorns in ODI cricket.

Strike Rotation vs Spin: In Pakistan and Dubai, rotating strike during middle overs can be a real thorn in Australia’s side. Too often, Aussie batters get stuck at the crease, missing out on singles that keep the scoreboard ticking.



What Needs Doing?

Maxwell’s Consistency: On his day, he can take the game by the scruff of the neck. The question is whether he can do it consistently when the chips are down.

Labuschagne & Smith as Anchors: Labuschagne and Smith will be crucial in guiding the middle overs and preventing collapses. Setting the stage for big hitters is half the battle won.

Inglis/Carey/Short to Embrace the Finisher Role: If Maxwell departs early, one of these three might need to “switch gears” and bat like there’s no tomorrow. That means boundary-hitting, clever running, and taking the fight to bowlers.

3. Adapting To Subcontinental Spin & Conditions

Adam Zampa is the only specialist spinner [Source: @mufaddal_vohra/x.com]Adam Zampa is the only specialist spinner [Source: @mufaddal_vohra/x.com]

Why It Matters?

The Champions Trophy 2025 will be played across Pakistan and Dubai and if there is one thing you don’t want to underestimate, it’s the potency of spin on slower pitches. Afghanistan, in particular, will be licking their lips at the chance to unleash their star spinners on the Aussies.

The Key Concerns

Zampa in the Limelight: Adam Zampa is the frontline Aussie spinner. Without a solid second-spinner option, Zampa might be singled out by opposition batters.

Part-Time Spin Support: Glenn Maxwell and Matt Short can roll their arms over, but are they enough of a threat against quality batting lineups who feast on part-time spin?

Batting vs Quality Spin: Too often, Aussie batters lose their heads against cunning wrist-spinners and mystery spinners. Sweeps, clever footwork, and nabbing quick singles can’t be afterthoughts; they must be front and center.

What Needs Doing?

Multi-Spinner Combinations: If surfaces are seriously spin-friendly, playing both Zampa and another tweaker (or giving Maxwell and Short plenty of overs) might be worth a roll of the dice.

Tackling Rashid & Co.: Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan can make good batters look like deer in headlights. Detailed plans—whether sweeping, stepping out, or rotating strike—are crucial.

Subcontinental Slow-Ball Mastery: Pakistan and Dubai tracks can get slower as tournaments progress. Bowlers like Ellis and Hardie must develop canny cutters and seam variations for the middle overs.

Conclusion

The Champions Trophy has always been a tournament where Australia either blossoms at the right time or fizzles out in surprising fashion. With the likes of Cummins, Hazlewood, Marsh, and Stoinis out of the picture, the Aussies are in for a baptism by fire. 

But you’d be off your rocker to completely write them off: the Aussie DNA is all about fighting to the bitter end. If Australia can keep their head above water in the aforementioned three areas, they might just end up laughing all the way to the podium.