Champions Trophy: Starc Withdraws With Personal Reasons, Smith To Lead Australia

Champions Trophy: Starc withdraws with personal reasons, Smith to lead Australia (Image Source: IANS)

ICC Champions Trophy: Australia have suffered another blow ahead of the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy as the experienced pacer Mitchell Starc has withdrawn from the tournament, citing personal reasons.

The Aussies finalised their 15-player squad for the eight-team event on Wednesday with veteran batter Steven Smith captaining the side.

The loss of Starc means five new players have been added in Australian squad, with Sean Abbott, Ben Dwarshuis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Spencer Johnson and Tanveer Sangha all included in the playing group for the tournament. Cooper Connolly will be a traveling reserve.

"Mitchell Starc has withdrawn from the tournament for personal reasons, with the support of Cricket Australia and the Australian men's team. Starc will also not be available for the two-game ODI series in Sri Lanka which leads into the Champions Trophy," Cricket Australia said in a statement.

Skipper Pat Cummins (ankle), fellow quick Josh Hazlewood (hip) and all-rounder Mitch Marsh (back) were already ruled out and the shock recent retirement of Marcus Stoinis earlier this month left selectors scrambling to find replacements.

Chair of men’s selectors George Bailey said, “The squad has changed significantly over the past month on the back of some untimely injuries and the retirement of Marcus Stoinis. The upside of that is that we have been able to call on players who have had international exposure and success over the past 12 months.

“A strong core of some our most experienced players will provide a strong foundation in our attempt to win this edition of the Champions Trophy. We have a range of options to shape the playing XI within the tournament depending on the opposition and conditions we face.”

“We understand and respect Mitch’s decision,” Bailey added. "Mitch is deeply respected for his commitment to international cricket and the priority he places on performing for Australia.

“His well-documented ability to play through pain and adversity, as well as forgoing opportunities in other parts of his career to put his country first should be applauded.

“His loss is, of course, a blow for the Champions Trophy campaign but does provide an opportunity for someone else to make a mark on the tournament.”

CA said Starc has requested the media to respect his privacy regarding this decision and will not be making any comment.

Australia will continue their preparations for the tournament with two ODIs against Sri Lanka in Colombo this week, ahead of their tournament opener against England on February 22.

Australia will begin their Champions Trophy campaign against England on February 22, followed by their matches against South Africa on February 25 and Afghanistan on February 28.

Australia Champions Trophy 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

Australia will begin their Champions Trophy campaign against England on February 22, followed by their matches against South Africa on February 25 and Afghanistan on February 28.

Article Source: IANS