Steve Smith optimistic about Champions Trophy despite series loss to Sri Lanka
Steve Smith isn’t too worried about Australia’s chances in the upcoming Champions Trophy, even though they just took a hit with a series loss to Sri Lanka.
The ODIs didn’t go their way, but it’s not hard to see why the team has been dealing with a string of setbacks.
Key players like Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Marsh are out with injuries, and to make matters worse, pacer Mitchell Starc wasn’t available either.
On top of that, all-rounder Marcus Stoinis called it quits on the format earlier this year. With so many changes, this was far from a full-strength Aussie squad.
Still, Smith isn’t dwelling on the negatives. He’s confident they can regroup, iron out the issues, and show up strong when it really matters in the tournament.
Australia had a rough time in the two-match series against Sri Lanka, struggling to find their footing in both ODIs.
In the first game, they collapsed for just 165 while chasing 215, and things didn’t get any better in the second, where they crumbled for 107, falling way short of the 282-run target.
Missing their frontline pacers was a huge setback, giving Sri Lanka’s batters the freedom to dominate. But despite the tough losses, Steve Smith isn’t too shaken.
He’s backing the new faces including Nathan Ellis, Ben Dwarshius, and Spencer Johnson by praising their skills and trusting they’ll rise to the challenge.
For him, captaincy is about good communication and making the right calls at the right time.
It’s been a tough series, no doubt, but Smith remains optimistic that the team will bounce back.
Steve Smith isn’t too worried about Australia’s chances in the Champions Trophy, even with their recent struggles.
He’s backing the team’s bowling strength, especially with spin expected to play a big role in Pakistan.
According to him, they’ve got things covered, with Adam Zampa and Tanveer Sangha leading the spin department, while Maxwell and Short add some handy part-time options.
As for pace, Smith believes guys like Ben Dwarshius, Spencer Johnson, and Sean Abbott bring variety whether it’s swinging the ball back, hitting the right lengths, or mixing things up with change-ups.
He’s confident that this skill set gives Australia enough depth to compete. “Yeah, we’ve got what we need,” he said, making it clear he trusts his squad to step up when it counts.
Steve Smith is staying positive about Australia’s chances in the Champions Trophy, especially with fresh talent like Jake Fraser-McGurk joining the squad.
The young batter had a rough start against Sri Lanka, scoring just 2 and 9, but Smith isn’t too worried.
He sees Fraser-McGurk as a naturally aggressive player with a lot of flair, someone who just needs to find the right moment to unleash his shots.
Sure, he hasn’t quite clicked yet, but Smith knows the kind of talent he possesses. With the conditions in Pakistan expected to work in his favor, Smith believes he could be a real threat.
As Australia gears up to face England in Lahore on 22 February for their ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 opener, Smith’s confidence in the younger players shows the team’s commitment to building for the future.
Explore the Champions Trophy Schedule, Live Scores, Squads, Teams, Tickets, Match Analysis, Match Predictions, Stats, Tour Details, Venues, history & records and the Latest News all in one place.
