Lahore:
England skipper Jos Butler expects Australia to be struggling with a tough challenge when he encounters a clash of Champions Trophy Group B in Lahore on Saturday, despite Australia missing out on the pace trio.
The Australian campaign in the eight-country Champions Trophy was hit hard after regular skippers Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood were ruled out due to ankle and hip injuries.
To add to their anguish, Mitchell Marsh suffered a back injury and while Marcus Stonis shockedly retired from the internationals for one day, Mitchell Marsh withdrew from the event for personal reasons. Stark to add to their calamity.
Experienced batsman Steve Smith takes over the captain with an inexperienced paced attack, but Butler did not underestimate his traditional rival.
“They have long been a real pillar of success for Australia, so naturally, their team has missed it,” Butler said at a press conference Friday.
“But they have top players who step into those shoes as well, and Australia has always been working very well in the ICC tournament.
“We are looking forward to a really difficult challenge.”
“England and Australia, there’s always been great rivalry and competitive matches. And obviously, in the Champions Trophy format, each game is a really big game,” Butler told reporters. “So we look forward to it.”
Butler said that fast bowler Jofra Archer was fit and screaming to go. “He’s now fitted and fired 18 months or so after finishing the game for a while, so he’s really excited to put together his performance,” he said of the 29-year-old Pacer. .
Archer was featured in all five Twenty20 Internationals against India, but missed the final two ODIs on the tour ahead of the Champions Trophy.
“He (Archer) is the person you’re the captain who always knows you can throw the ball,” Butler added. “He’s clearly really looking forward to the game tomorrow.”
England announced their final 11 in the match on Thursday evening, recalling Jamie Smith, the wicketkeeper batter who hits in three – the decision was supported.
“He obviously got the game technically and tactically, but I think the head on his shoulder is one of his biggest strengths,” he said.
“It doesn’t seem like he’s going to do too much. I think you can ask him to hit anywhere in the lineup, which wouldn’t make him phased.
Butler hopes that Pakistan’s conditions will be different from India, where he lost the T20I series 4-1 and One Day International 3-0.
“I think you go anywhere in the world and there are unique nuances and different conditions everywhere. There are a lot of people who have played in Pakistan before, so I share those experiences,” he said. I said that.
Australia, on the other hand, has enough experience and versatility to enter tournament mode. According to opener Travis Head, entering tournament mode quickly reduced the difficult accumulation of key players Absei and the international exhibits of the day.
The World Champions do not have regular skippers Pat Cummins and Spearhead Pacers Mitchell Stark and Josh Hezlewood.
Australian bowling is primarily on the shoulders of Fringe-Pacemen, and pressures on the inexperienced top-order batting duo of Matthew Short and Jake Fraser McGurk after twin breakdowns in Sri Lanka .
Despite this, Head supported the Steve Smith Captains team and clicked when he relied on the field. “I have a few guys… I don’t play a lot of white ball cricket, but those guys are pretty versatile,” he said.
“We feel we are in a good position, and we are fully experienced with that batting unit, so people playing red ball cricket can transition pretty well.