What to make of Australia’s inexperienced pace attack for Champions Trophy?

Steve Smith to captain Australia in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025
Steve Smith to captain Australia in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 (PC: X)

As the Australian team embark on a trip to Pakistan, to partake in the Champions Trophy, three illustrious names will be missing from action – Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc. The pace trio have withdrawn from the tournament for different reasons. However, the crux of the point remains the same: Australia suddenly have a pace attack comprising Spencer Johnson, Sean Abbott, Ben Dwarshuis and Nathan Ellis. Just to put that into context, the formidable trio have partaken in every ICC tournament, barring one, since the 2015 World Cup.

So, can the inexperienced pace bowling line-up surprise everyone in the Champions Trophy? And did Australia make a mistake by not including a couple of other young quicks? To begin with, Australia still have a bit of firepower in their seam-bowling ranks.

Spencer Johnson, the 6’4″ tall pace bowler made his List A debut for South Australia, in 2017. But for the next three years, a foot injury acted as a hurdle. Eventually, a surgery helped him to prolong his career. The turning point of Johnson’s career came during the 2022-23 BBL season where he showed some promise in the slog overs. The left-arm angle, hit-the-deck skills and yorkers are his main weapons. Johnson has played just three ODIs and 11 List A games, and he is yet to make a mark in the 50-over format. Although his T20 numbers – 84 wickets at 21.63 suggest that he has some pedigree.

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Sean Abbott has been on the fringes of the Australian set-up since 2014. Abbott has represented Australia in 28 ODIs, taking 33 scalps at an average of over 37. Not exactly earth-shattering numbers. At his best, Abbott can keep the batter honest and is also a useful option lower down the order. Meanwhile, Ellis is better known for his prowess in the shortest format. Ellis has some impressive change-ups and employs the cross-seam deliveries to good effect. Dwarshuis is another left-arm option in the set-up.

On paper, it isn’t exactly an attack that would give sleepless nights to the batters. There is a school of thought that this was the right time to pick younger bowlers like Xavier Bartlett and Lance Morris. Just to expand the hypothesis, Australia are set to go through a transition phase soon. In that backdrop, by selecting the likes of Bartlett and Morris, it would have given them the chance to get a feel of the team environment. Yes, they have already played for Australia a few times. But partaking in an ICC tournament would have been a different experience altogether.

Who knows? Maybe just wearing the jersey of a nation that has excelled in numerous  ICC events would motivate bowlers like Ellis, Johnson, Abbott and Co. to punch above their weight. Logic, however, says it would be a difficult road ahead for Australia in the Champions Trophy.

Also Read: Champions Trophy: India ready to hit ground running

The post What to make of Australia’s inexperienced pace attack for Champions Trophy? appeared first on Sports News Portal | Latest Sports Articles | Revsports.



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