Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood ruled out of Champions Trophy

Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood ruled out of ICC Champions Trophy due to injuries, creating selection challenges for Australia.

Australia on Thursday (February 6, 2025) dealt more blows with captain Pat Cummins and senior pacer Josh Hazlewood being ruled out of the ICC Champions Trophy owing to injuries.

Cummins has not recovered from the ankle niggle that plagued him towards the end of the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series against India, while Hazlewood is still recuperating from a calf strain.

Hazlewood's last competitive outing was against India in the drawn third Test at Brisbane.

The development came close on the heels of all-rounder Marcus Stoinis' shock retirement from ODIs and Mitchell Marsh's withdrawal from the global tournament due to his failure to recover from a back injury.

Earlier in the day, Stoinis, who was named in the country's Champions Trophy squad, abruptly announced his retirement from the 50-over international game to "fully focus on the next chapter" of his career, creating a fresh selection headache for the side that had been dealing with injuries to key players.

"Unfortunately Pat, Josh and Mitch are managing some ongoing injuries and haven't come up in time for the Champions Trophy," national selection panel chairman George Bailey said on Thursday, February 6, 2025.

"While disappointing, it does present a great opportunity for other players to perform for Australia in a world event," said Bailey.