Australia’s Champions Trophy hopes rocked by twin injury blows to Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins

Australia’s Champions Trophy hopes have nosedived, with two key stars set to be ruled out of the tournament – compounding the earlier loss of captain Mitchell Marsh.

Steve Smith looks poised to take the reins of Australia’s upcoming Champions Trophy campaign with Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood set to be ruled out of the tournament.

With captain Mitchell Marsh already scratched from the ODI event in Pakistan later this month, Australian coach Andrew McDonald has confirmed Cummins is “hugely unlikely” and Hazlewood “battling” with fitness as well.

Australia has already picked its preliminary 15-man squad but changes can be made up until the commencement of the tournament and injury will in all likelihood force selectors to make at least three.

Smith would appear the most likely new captain given he has led the Australian Test team superbly in Sri Lanka in Cummins’ absence.

Josh Hazlewood (L) and Pat Cummins (C) are set to be ruled out of Australia’s Champions Trophy campaign. Picture: Getty

McDonald told Gerard Whateley in an interview on SEN that no decision has been made and the captaincy choice would come down to Smith or his Test vice-captain Travis Head, while confirming the bad news for Cummins.

“That will unfold in the next couple of days. At the moment Pat Cummins hasn’t been able to resume any type of bowling so he’s heavily unlikely so that would mean that we do need a captain,” McDonald said.

“Steve Smith and Travis Head are the two (captaincy options) we’ve been having conversations with as we’ve been building out that Champions Trophy team, along with Pat back home.

Josh Hazlewood (C) has yet to fully recover from the injury with derailed his summer. Picture: AFP

“They’ll be the two that we look at for that leadership post. We’ve got to get through the next Test match as well to see where everyone is at.

“… Steve has done a great job here in the Test match, he’s done some good work in one-day international cricket across the journey as well. it’ll be between those two.

“Patty is hugely unlikely which is a bit of a shame and we’ve got also Josh Hazlewood who is battling at the moment. That medical information will land over the next couple of days. We’ll be able to sure that up and let everyone know the direction.”

Steve Smith is likely to assume the captaincy at the Champions Trophy. Picture: Getty

It was expected that Hazlewood would recover from the calf injury that ruled him out of the second half of the Border Gavaskar Trophy in time for the Champions Trophy, however, he is behind schedule.

Selectors won’t want to rush Hazlewood back and risk an injury repeat given how important he will be in their World Test Championship Final and Ashes plans later this year.

Cummins had scans on a sore ankle at the end of the Indian Test series and although the injury isn’t expected to be serious, he is yet to return to bowling.

Originally published as Australia’s Champions Trophy hopes rocked by twin injury blows to Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins