Champions Trophy team preview: Australia

Sports Desk: Two-time champions Australia enter the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy as one of the favourites, boasting strong batsmen and the quickest pace arsenal of all eight teams.

The current World Cup holders are set to unleash a pace quartet in England, with Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, James Pattinson, Pat Cummins, Josh Hastings and Marcus Stoinis to pick from. The injured Chris Lynn has also been named in Australia's 15-man squad, which is captained by Steven Smith with David Warner the vice-captain.

With a well balanced squad, exciting batsmen and bowlers and a smart captain, Australia look good to get through to the semi-finals at the least.

SQUAD: Steven Smith (capt), David Warner, Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch, John Hastings, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade (wk), Adam Zampa.

Likely starting XI: 1 David Warner, 2 Aaron Finch, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 Travis Head, 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Matthew Wade (wk), 7 Moises Henriques, 8 John Hastings, 9 Pat Cummins, 10 Mitchell Starc, 11 Josh Hazlewood.

Matches: June 2 v New Zealand, Edgbaston; June 5 v Bangladesh, The Oval; June 10 v England, Edgbaston

Past record: 1998 - quarter-finalists; 2000 - quarter-finalists; 2002 - semi-finalists; 2004 - semi-finalists; 2006 - winners; 2009 - winners; 2013 - league stage.

Most runs: Ricky Ponting (593)

Most wickets: Brett Lee (22)

Agencies


risingbd/Dhaka/May 29, 2017/Yeasin/Nasim