Australia Faces Knockout Opener in Champions Trophy

A Knockout From the Start

Australia's stand-in captain, Steve Smith, has emphasized the crucial nature of their opening ICC Champions Trophy match against England, viewing it as a virtual knockout game.

The Aussies begin their campaign in Lahore on Saturday night AEDT, facing a significant challenge without their star pace trio of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood. Smith acknowledges the need to avoid a slow start, unlike previous tournaments, due to the shorter format of the Champions Trophy.

"We know that sometimes in those big tournaments, in World Cups for instance, it takes us a little while to get into our groove, which we've done in the last few," Smith said. "But we know with Champions Trophy it's a shorter format. You're only playing three round games, so you have to be switched on from the first one."

He emphasizes the importance of treating this opening match as a quarterfinal, hoping it will bring out the best in his players. Despite missing key bowlers, Smith expresses confidence in his available fast-bowling options, including Sean Abbott, Nathan Ellis, and Spencer Johnson.

"There's always pressure when you're playing in international events and big tournaments," he said. "It's clear we're obviously missing a few of our gun fast bowlers, but we're not worried about that. We're thinking about what we've got here and the opportunity that those guys have."

Australia's final playing XI for the England clash will be confirmed at the toss, with Smith wanting to assess the pitch conditions before making a decision. Following the England match, Australia faces South Africa in Rawalpindi on Tuesday AEDT, before meeting Afghanistan in Lahore later in the week.