Australia and England Enter the 2025 Champions Trophy with Concerns  

Despite being the winners of the last two ICC ODI tournaments, Australia and England enter the 2025 Champions Trophy with minimal momentum. Australia, in particular, suffered two heavy defeats in Sri Lanka recently, which would dent the confidence of any team. The situation is further complicated by the absence of several first-choice players, raising concerns about their prospects in the tournament.  

Australia’s recent form in ODIs has been poor, having lost their last four matches without crossing the 200-run mark in any of them. While their batting unit, featuring Travis Head, stand-in captain Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, and Glenn Maxwell, will be relieved to play at a venue that has produced 300-plus scores lately, the real test lies in their bowling attack. For the first time since the 2016 T20 World Cup, Australia will be participating in an ICC event without their premier pace trio of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood. While they have won the Champions Trophy twice before, their recent record in the competition is unimpressive, having failed to register a single victory in the last two editions.  

England, on the other hand, do not have major injury concerns but still find themselves in a difficult position. Like Australia, their batters will welcome the batting-friendly conditions in Pakistan, especially after a tough series in India. Their 2023 ODI World Cup title defense did not go as planned, and with Brendon McCullum recently taking charge of the white-ball team, both he and captain Jos Buttler will be under scrutiny if England suffers another early exit.  

England are aiming to join the elite group of teams that have won all three major ICC white-ball tournaments, with the Champions Trophy being the only missing silverware. A strong start against their arch-rivals would be ideal, especially in a short tournament where an early loss could severely impact qualification chances.  

Match Details  
When: Australia vs England, February 22, 2025, 2:30 PM IST  
Where: Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore  
Conditions: The pitch is expected to be batting-friendly, similar to the recent tri-series. The weather is likely to be warm.  

Team News  

Australia  
The composition of Australia's bowling attack will be closely observed, with Adam Zampa being the most experienced bowler in the squad, expected to lead from the front.  

Probable XI: Matthew Short, Travis Head, Steve Smith (C), Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Alex Carey (WK), Aaron Hardie, Sean Abbott, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa  

England  
England are expected to maintain their aggressive batting approach. Captain Jos Buttler has confirmed Jamie Smith’s promotion to No.3 as a "free hit," while Joe Root moving to No.4 is aimed at strengthening the middle order after struggles in India.  

Playing XI: Phil Salt, Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith (WK), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler (C), Liam Livingstone, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood  

Quotes  
"He's got the technical and tactical ability, but one of his biggest strengths is his mindset. Nothing seems to faze him. I think you could ask him to bat anywhere in the order, and he’d handle it well." – Jos Buttler on Jamie Smith’s promotion.  

Squads  

Australia: Matthew Short, Travis Head, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Steven Smith (C), Josh Inglis (WK), Aaron Hardie, Glenn Maxwell, Sean Abbott, Ben Dwarshuis, Adam Zampa, Tanveer Sangha, Nathan Ellis, Spencer Johnson, Marnus Labuschagne, Alex Carey  

England: Philip Salt, Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith (WK), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler (C), Liam Livingstone, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood, Jamie Overton, Saqib Mahmood, Tom Banton, Gus Atkinson