Champions Trophy 2025: SWOT analysis of Australian cricket team

Australia heads into the Champions Trophy 2025 having lost some of their key players ahead of the tournament. Steve Smith will lead the side, which looks to win the title for the third time. In the last two editions, which were played in England, the Aussies were bundled out in the group phases. 

Ricky Ponting led the side to two successive title wins in 2006 and 2009. Despite missing their top stars, Australia cannot be taken lightly, as they have done well in ICC tournaments. The Men in Yellow were dead bottom of the table during the 2023 ODI World Cup and staged a remarkable comeback to win their sixth title. 

Coming into the tournament, Australia’s form in the ODI format has been facing a string of losses. The defending World Cup winners lost the home series to Pakistan late last year. This was followed by the 2-0 series loss to Sri Lanka, which wasn’t something that Andrew McDonald or Steve Smith would have hoped for. 

Also read: Champions Trophy 2025: SWOT Analysis of Pakistan's – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats

Here is Australia’s SWOT analysis for Champions Trophy 2025

Strengths: Key batters in good form and overall record in ICC events 

Travis Head and Steve Smith will be the main players for Australia as far as batting is concerned. Both the batters are in a rich vein of form with the bat, as seen during the recent series against India and Sri Lanka, respectively. Head scored a century in the finals of the ODI World Cup that helped Australia win the title. Another key aspect that works in Australia’s favour is their record in ICC events. The last few years have seen Australia regain their penchant for winning ICC titles with the WTC and ODI World Cup already in their cabinet. 

Weakness: Huge match winners missing from the squad and troubles against spin

Pat Cummins’ absence will be felt massively not only from the captaincy point of view but also due to his importance to the side. Cummins can bat well and is also a leading pacer on the side. The same is the case with Josh Hazlewood, who is a very key bowler with the new ball. Mitchell Starc will be the biggest miss after pulling out of the tournament due to unspecified reasons. Starc has been a handful for batters with the new ball and is very dangerous with the old ball. To make matters worse, Mitchell Marsh is out with injury, while Marcus Stoinis announced a sudden retirement from ODI cricket. 

The second biggest issue for Australia will be their weakness against quality spin. Pakistani conditions will favour the spinners and Australia are sure to come up against quality spinners in the form of Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Adil Rashid, Keshav Maharaj, and Tabraiz Shamsi. Barring skipper Smith and Marnus Labuschagne, none of the batters showed fight against Sri Lankan spinners during the recent series. 

Opportunities: Chance for new stars to step up

Jake Fraser-McGurk hasn’t had a great start to his international career for Australia. The young batter can use the Champions Trophy 2025 to showcase why he is being billed as the next great batting hope. The likes of Matthew Short, Aaron Hardie, Ben Dwarshuis, and Sean Abbott have a lot of experience and will want to make it count for their national side. Spencer Johnson will also be keenly looked at with the ball as a replacement for Mitchell Starc. 

Threats: Over reliance on Steve Smith, Travis Head, and Glenn Maxwell

One of the biggest threats Australia faces in the upcoming Champions Trophy is overreliance on their veteran stars. Steve Smith will not only have to score runs but also lead the side and this could have an effect on his gameplay. Travis Head and Glenn Maxwell are naturally attacking players but in the scenario of Australia losing their top stars, their otherwise inexperienced side could face a tough time with the bat and ball. 

Australia's Record in Champions Trophy

Winners: 2006, 2009; Semis: 2002, 2004