Shane Watson has backed all-rounder Glenn Maxwell to dominate the ICC Males’s Champions Trophy 2025 and lead Australia to yet one more ODI title.
Maxwell is perhaps 36 years outdated and boast greater than 250 worldwide caps throughout three codecs, however his kind within the Large Bash – the place he was one among two Gamers of the Collection – has satisfied Watson his greatest cricket continues to be to return.
Australia head to Pakistan because the reigning world champions within the 50-over format and sit second within the males’s ODI workforce rankings.
However with only one win from their final 5 ODI matches – and key bowlers Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc all lacking from the squad – questions have been raised about their means to say the trophy in Pakistan.
Nonetheless, Watson, the two-time ICC Males’s Champions Trophy winner and one among 4 Occasion Ambassadors for the 2025 version, insists they are going to be a troublesome workforce to beat, particularly if their explosive all-rounder fires.
“The stand-out participant for me is Glenn Maxwell,” he mentioned.
“With what I’ve seen just lately, particularly within the Large Bash, I imagine he has a few of his greatest cricket in entrance of him throughout the subsequent two or three years and I might be very shocked if he doesn’t dominate this Champions Trophy.
“He had that unimaginable innings in opposition to Afghanistan within the ICC Males’s Cricket World Cup 2023, the place he scored a double century, however he has struggled to be constant at occasions. That’s the character of his function within the workforce.
“Nonetheless, it now simply feels prefer it has all fallen into place for him, and that’s with every part in his life, not simply his cricket, so I feel he’ll play a pivotal half.
“I feel Australia will probably be very exhausting to beat, even when their bowling squad just isn’t fairly as skilled as they could in any other case have been.”
Watson definitely is aware of what it takes to reach the Champions Trophy.
The previous all-rounder was a part of the Australia workforce that had been topped champions in 2006, hitting 57 not out to assist them to an eight-wicket win in opposition to West Indies within the last.
He then scored a century in each the semi-final and last in 2009 and hit the successful runs as Australia retained their trophy in South Africa.
The lack of Cummins, Hazlewood and Starc, who’re lacking because of a mixture of damage and private causes, opens the door to a special crop of Australian bowlers, headed by Nathan Ellis and Spencer Johnson.
Aged 30 and 29 years outdated respectively, they’ve 10 ODI caps between them, with Sean Abbott essentially the most skilled quick bowler with 26, and Watson is assured they’ll take their alternative.
“You must be at your absolute best on this occasion, with this format – it’s important to hit the bottom sprinting, not to mention operating,” he mentioned.
“Spencer Johnson doesn’t swing it a lot however the ball flies out of his hand, he’s fast, he’s tall, he will get bounce and it’s lovely to see how straightforward it he finds it to bowl on the speeds he does. It’s an amazing alternative for him.
“Sean Abbott has at all times accomplished a very nice job. He’s nice with the older ball, the way in which he releases it, and has nice pace.
“After which there may be Nathan Ellis, who is extremely expert and massively under-rated in worldwide cricket. He’s a identified pressure in franchise cricket and does an amazing job however I feel this could possibly be his breakout 12 months in worldwide cricket, so I’m excited to see how he goes.
“They might be inexperienced as a gaggle in internationals however these quicks have all performed high-pressure cricket within the Large Bash and different T20 tournaments – they know methods to execute underneath stress.”
Australia open their Group B marketing campaign in opposition to England in Lahore on Saturday, earlier than taking part in South Africa in Rawalpindi on 25 February and Afghanistan again in Lahore on 28 February.
Watson believes India will as soon as once more be sturdy contenders, whereas one among Australia’s acquainted rivals additionally pose a serious risk.
“India have an extremely sturdy squad and the circumstances will go well with them after all,” he mentioned.
“It’s a squad that’s used to scorching and humid circumstances, so they are going to be exhausting to beat. There may be hardly any participant turnover from the final World Cup to now, and that consistency is difficult to miss.
“I actually like Hardik Pandya, if he can keep match then he can provide a lot flexibility and ability – he’s in all probability the important thing one for me.
“The opposite workforce I actually like is South Africa. They made the ultimate within the final ICC Males’s T20 World Cup and have a lot expertise there.
“The batting line-up is so good, they’ve Heinrich Klaasen, who is without doubt one of the greatest short-format batters on the earth, and David Miller as properly. They’ve a spread of abilities with the ball as properly, and the spinners add enormous worth there.
“I do know they haven’t fairly received over the road at ICC occasions however I actually imagine on this workforce.
“I might be shocked in the event that they don’t recover from the road in an ICC occasion quickly as a result of this technology has the expertise and doesn’t have the scars. In the event that they do, the floodgates may properly open.”