The highly anticipated ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is set to begin on February 19, with eight teams finalizing their preparations. However, multiple teams have been forced to revise their strategies after suffering significant player withdrawals due to injuries and personal reasons.
With teams scrambling to make last-minute changes, some of the biggest stars of international cricket will miss the tournament, potentially altering the competitive balance.
Pakistan's Saim Ayub
The 22-year-old talented batter suffered an ankle injury during the Test series against South Africa, ruling him out. His absence is a significant blow for Pakistan, as he had already scored three ODI centuries in just nine matches.
India's Jasprit Bumrah
The star pacer suffered a back injury during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia and failed to recover in time. He will be replaced by Harshit Rana in the squad.
Australia
• Pat Cummins: The Australian captain is out due to an ankle injury, with Steve Smith taking over the captaincy.
• Mitchell Starc: The legendary pacer withdrew due to personal reasons, weakening Australia’s pace attack.
• Josh Hazlewood: Another key fast bowler, ruled out due to injury.
• Marcus Stoinis: The all-rounder retired from ODI cricket to focus on T20s.
• Mitchell Marsh: Sidelined due to fitness issues.
South Africa
Anrich Nortje: Ruled out due to a back injury.
Gerald Coetzee: Suffered a thigh strain during training and will also miss the tournament.
Afghanistan
• M.A. Ghaznfar: The young spinner suffered a fracture and is out for four months.
England
Jacob Bethell: The all-rounder sustained a hamstring injury during the India series. Tom Banton has replaced him.
New Zealand
Ben Sears: Suffered a hamstring injury during training in Karachi and will be replaced by Jacob Duffy.
Australia squad
Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Matthew Short, Adam Zampa. Travelling reserve: Cooper Connolly.
South Africa squad
The Proteas will miss the services of seamers Anrich Nortje and Gerald Coetzee due to injuries. Coetzee, who picked a left hamstring strain in the SA20, was ruled out before even the provisional squad was announced.
Replacing Nortje in South Africa's squad is 30-year-old seam bowling all-rounder Corbin Bosch.
South Africa squad: Temba Bavuma (c), Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen, Corbin Bosch. Travelling reserve: Kwena Maphaka
Afghanistan squad
Afghanistan will make their Champions Trophy debut in Pakistan and have been replaced in the same group as England, Australia and South Africa. They will be without the 18-year-old spin bowling sensation Allah Ghazanfar because of a fracture in the L4 vertebra. He has been sidelined for a minimum of four months. Nangyal Kharoti, who was in the reserve pool, has been promoted to the main squad.
Afghanistan squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Farid Malik, Naveed Zadran. Reserves: Darwish Rasooli, Nangyal Kharoti, Bilal Sami
England squad
Jacob Bethell, 21, a batting all-rounder is out of the eight-team tournament with a hamstring injury that he suffered while playing for England against India in the first ODI in Nagpur. In his place, England have brought in Tom Banton.
England squad: Jos Buttler (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Tom Banton, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood
Pakistan squad
Opening batter Saim Ayub was not included in Pakistan's squad for the Champions Trophy after he sustained an ankle injury. He picked up the blow while playing in the second Test of the away series against South Africa in Cape Town last month.
Pakistan squad: Mohammad Rizwan (c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi.
New Zealand squad
New Zealand were dealt a blow with fast bowler Ben Sears ruled out with a hamstring injury. Sears felt discomfort during the team's training session in Pakistan during the tri-series with a subsequent scan revealing a minor tear that would require at least two weeks’ rehabilitation.
Sears has been replaced in the Champions Trophy squad by bowler Jacob Duffy, who is already with the team as part of the squad for the ODI Tri-Series against Pakistan and South Africa.
Mitchell Santner (c), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Jacob Duffy, Nathan Smith, Kane Williamson, Will Young