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'Steve Smith Should Open...': Gilchrist Reveals Australia's Champions Trophy Winning Mantra

Poulomi Chakraborty

 Gilchrist Backs  Smith For Opener's Role In Champions Trophy (Source: @KallisserySujil/x.com, @Mahiyank_78/x.com) Gilchrist Backs  Smith For Opener's Role In Champions Trophy (Source: @KallisserySujil/x.com, @Mahiyank_78/x.com)

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As the Champions nears, teams are making final preparations. Before stepping onto the big stage, the Australian side has faced consecutive setbacks as they are heading into the tournament without some of their star players.

Amidst the setbacks, legend Adam Gilchrist picks a star player to open in the Champions Trophy, aiming to strengthen the team's top order.

Gilchrist Backs Smith As An Opener

The Champions Trophy is making its return after a long but Australia’s current form has been a massive concern for the side. Their recent ODI series against Sri Lanka ended in a shocking whitewash, exposing a fragile top order. Opener Jake Fraser-McGurk fell short of expectations, while Steve Smith struggled in the middle order. Before the team entered the big stage, Adam Gilchrist came with a bold approach, claiming Smith to open the innings in the Champions Trophy.

“It's a challenging one at the moment, but Steve Smith should open. I didn't see where he was slotted in the game against Sri Lanka. Obviously, Travis is going to be there – he's fresh and fit. I also like Matt Short being there – he can form a nice left-hand-right-hand combination – that would be the preferred way for me to go.” Gilchrist said.


“But I do think Steve Smith can open – we have seen him do that in 20-over cricket really well. Maybe he's too valuable in the middle order, but I can't see a reason why you wouldn't want him facing as many balls as possible in a 50-over game. It could be a very viable option to get him up there,” he added.

Gilchrist On Australia’s Lack Of Preparation

Even before the tournament approached, Australia faced multiple setbacks as their key players are missing out. Adding more woes, Mitchell Marsh and Cameron Green have been ruled out due to injury. Playing in unfamiliar conditions in Pakistan, along with limited preparation and poor form, adds to their challenges. Gilchrist believes these factors could trouble the team.

“I guess there's been limited preparation with regards to this format. The Australian team were outstanding in the huge summer – both men's and women's. But a lot of nations will focus on 50-over cricket when it's a World Cup year certainly in terms of volume of the games and who's actually playing it.” he said.

Focusing On the Future Despite Setbacks

As the Australian side is missing out on their key players in the upcoming tournament, they have named some of the youngsters into the squad. As the 2027 ODI World Cup approaches, developing new players is vital. Adam Gilchrist believes that despite not being at full strength, these youngsters will play a crucial role in the team's future.

“The next ODI World Cup is in 2027 I suppose, so this is an opportunity to experiment and give younger players a go. That might bring with it some mixed results – once you get into a tournament, it's just tournament play and find a way to go through the next round.” Gilchrist said.


“That's what Australia do well – they scrape well, but it's going to be challenging in those conditions over there. They don't have the full strength of players who they would like to take typically, so this might be a tough tournament for them,” he added.

Australia is set to start their Champions Trophy campaign on February 22 as they are set to face England as their first rival. As the tournament progresses, they will lock horn against South Africa and Afghanistan. Fans are waiting to see another chapter of Aussie dominance.