England will be looking to ‘do an Australia’ as they begin their Champions Trophy campaign against the same opposition in Lahore on Saturday, live on Sky Sports.
Australia are the masters of heading into an ICC event with questions over their competitiveness – and then winning them.
We saw that in the 2021 T20 World Cup and 2023 ODI World Cup.
Australian won the 2023 World Cup, beating hosts India in the final
Australia’s struggles seeped into the group stages of those competitions – drubbed by England in the T20 version in the UAE and then losing convincingly in their first two games of the 50-over jamboree two years later, to hosts India and also South Africa.
But on both occasions they ended up lifting the trophy, proving their doubters wrong. They exacted revenge on India and South Africa when it really mattered in the ODI World Cup, beating the former in the final after seeing off the latter in a nerve-shredding semi.
Australia enter the Champions Trophy with doubts once again following successive defeats to a Sri Lanka side that did not even qualify for the tournament and their squad decimated (more on that in a bit), but England are also in a state of disarray.
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Joe Root looks back at England’s defeat-laden tour of India and what lessons can be learnt ahead of the Champions Trophy
Problems pile up on tour of India
You may not have seen the woeful white-ball tour of India but you must have heard the gory details.
Seven defeats out of eight, including a 3-0 sweep in the ODIs. Batters baffled by spin and not pushing on to get big scores. A samey pace attack with no left-arm options.
The seeming lack of a genuine No 7. A series of niggling injuries, including to Jofra Archer. Accusations they do not train hard enough and spend too much time on the golf course.
It was not quite the start new white-ball head coach Brendon McCullum was hoping for.
McCullum presided over seven defeats in eight matches on the white-ball tour of India
When Eoin Morgan was finally able to stamp his imprint on the limited-overs team after the debacle of the 2015 World Cup, England went into every global competition as one of the favourites, if not the out-and-out team to beat.
But that is not where they sit now with the problems listed above – and the fact they have lost their last four ODI series – means Sky Sports’ Michael Atherton envisages the side struggling to get out of a group that also includes Afghanistan and South Africa.
How the mighty have fallen.
Yet England only need to glance at their weekend – and weakened – opponents to know that turnarounds are possible and with the Champions Trophy such a short, sharp tournament, a little bit of momentum can carry you a long way.
Big tournament for captain Buttler
That familiar Australia path from written off to winners is one Jos Buttler’s men will be looking to tread over the next few weeks and if they don’t – or at least make the semi-finals – you sense that could be that for the skipper.
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Nasser Hussain believes the Champions Trophy is a big tournament for captain Jos Buttler after England’s recent struggles
After the 50-over World Cup in 2023, when they were dumped out in the first round and nearly failed to qualify for this Champions Trophy, and then a limp T20 World Cup defence in the Caribbean when they reached the semi-finals but only beat one Test-playing nation, another lamentable performance may not be tolerated.
It means the clash with Australia could be make or break. Win it and there is some breathing room with two victories from three probably needed to make the last four but lose it and trouble will be brewing. So it’s handy that their old rivals are so depleted.
Not only are Australia missing their usual seam-bowling cabal of Mitchell Starc (personal reasons), Pat Cummins (ankle) and Josh Hazlewood (hip), but all-rounders Mitchell Marsh (back), Cameron Green (back) and Marcus Stoinis (retired), too.
David Warner has also retired since the 2023 World Cup win – Australia losing close to 7,000 ODI runs there – with those having a go replacing him at the top of the order, most recently Jake Fraser-McGurk and Matthew Short, not exactly nailing down the position.
Mitchell Starc is one of a number of key Australia players missing the Champions Trophy
Add in Marnus Labuschagne now being far from the run machine he once was and there should be optimism in the England camp, even though Travis Head, Steve Smith and Adam Zampa remain and Swiss Army knife Glenn Maxwell (brutal with the bat, reliable with the ball, stunning in the field) is always likely to produce some magic.
Rashid: We can win Champions Trophy
What should also encourage England is their clean bill of health squad-wise – and conditions.
The spin-friendly surfaces of India are likely be replaced by flatter decks in Pakistan, aiding their gung-ho batters and speedy seamers, and the trump card could well be leg-spinner Adil Rashid.
He was recently described as the team’s most important player by Buttler and, despite celebrating his 37th birthday a matter of days ago, remains at the peak of his powers.
“I’m not thinking about retirement,” said Rashid. “When the time is right, the time will be right. I still feel good in terms of moving in the field, running and bowling, always.”
England leg-spinner Adil Rashid says his side can win the Champions Trophy
The Yorkshireman was part of the 2019 50-over World Cup win on home soil and then the T20 triumph three years later and is adamant another major ICC title is possible.
“Regardless of what happened in India, we’ve got that belief that we’ve got the talent, the world-class players, the match winners in the squad to win the tournament.”
Champions Trophy results and fixtures 🏏
Group A
Group B
- February 21: Afghanistan vs South Africa (Karachi)
- February 22: Australia vs England (Lahore)
- February 25: Australia vs South Africa (Rawalpindi)
- February 26: Afghanistan vs England (Lahore)
- February 28: Afghanistan vs Australia (Lahore)
- March 1: South Africa vs England (Karachi)
Semi-finals
- March 4: Semi-final – A1 v B2 (Dubai)
- March 5: Semi-final 2 – A2 v B1 (Lahore)
Final
- March 9: Final (Lahore or Dubai)
