The Worldwide Cricket Council’s (ICC) Champions Trophy begins in Pakistan on February 19.
This version comes after an eight-year hole because the match was final staged in 2017, when Pakistan lifted the trophy in England.
The Champions Trophy options the highest eight males’s one-day worldwide (ODI) groups and most of the finest gamers in world cricket will participate within the 50-over format.
Al Jazeera Sport has picked the highest 5 gamers – drawn from the 4 favourites to win the trophy – to look out for this time round.
Babar Azam (Pakistan)
Babar, a former Pakistan captain, presently tops the ICC’s ODI batting rankings and might be thought to be host nation’s finest hope in racking up match-winning totals.
The 30-year-old made his worldwide debut in 2015 and has a powerful 19 centuries and 34 fifties from 122 profession ODI innings.
Azam averages 55.98 within the format – greater than 13 away from his Check common.
The precise-hander resigned as Pakistan’s white-ball cricket captain for a second time in 11 months in October 2024, having additionally relinquished the Check and T20 captaincies concurrently the earlier 12 months, however Babar stays the inspirational figurehead of the facet.
Shubman Gill (India)
In a facet led by ageing superstars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, and with India thought to be the clear favourites to win the trophy, Shubman Gill’s inclusion in our high 5 didn’t come frivolously.
Gill, 25, has rapidly grow to be the poster boy for Indian cricket – each on and off the sector – with what seems to be as pure a expertise in entrance of a digicam as he has with a bat in his hand.
Gill has solely dropped beneath fifty in one in every of his final 4 innings coming into the match and went on to attain a century on two of these events, together with within the closing match of the pre-tournament collection towards England.
Seven centuries and 15 fifties in 50 ODI innings have helped the highest order star produce an outstanding common of 60.16.
Jos Buttler (England)
England discover themselves third favourites to win the match regardless of a wretched white-ball run that has seen them slip to seventh within the ODI rankings, whereas their T20 kind in recent times has additionally slid alarmingly.
If England are to provide the products in Pakistan then an ideal deal will relaxation on their captain Jos Buttler, who’s revered as a lot for his management as his efficiency with the bat.
The 34-year-old was Eoin Morgan’s vice-captain when England gained the 2019 Cricket World Cup, and was, subsequently, the pure alternative for a participant thought to be one in every of cricket’s best leaders.
Lifting England from their woes of their white-ball tour of India in January and February, which resulted in a win in each collection for the hosts – and a clear sweep for the ODIs – might be excessive on the listing of Buttler’s priorities.
The precise-hand veteran has registered 11 centuries and 27 fifties, at a mean of 39.33, in 157 innings.
Glenn Maxwell (Australia)
At 36 years of age, Maxwell stays one in every of Australia’s key gamers and is a confirmed finisher – or rescuer – within the center order.
Solely 15 months in the past, the right-hander hit an unimaginable 201 not out, whereas critically hampered by harm, to show the match towards Afghanistan as a part of his facet’s journey to profitable the 2023 Cricket World Cup.
A veteran of the Indian Premier League, having performed 134 matches for 3 of their franchises, Maxwell made his debut for Australia in 2012 and has been a daily in each white-ball codecs ever since.
Though not capable of maintain down a spot within the Check workforce, the place he gained the final of his seven caps in 2017, Maxwell is an iconic determine in Australian sport as a result of his potential to single-handedly take down an opponent along with his revolutionary batting type.
As well as, Maxwell’s off-break bowling is greater than a helpful second string with 75 ODI wickets at an economic system of 5.43, however it’s his strike price of 123 with the bat within the ODI format that instils true concern into these operating into bowl to the participant nicknamed “The Massive Present”.
Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pakistan)
One other former Pakistan captain – as with Babar – and equally a key participant for his nation, Shaheen will lead the bowling assault for the host nation.
Nonetheless solely 24 years of age, the left-arm seamer has the flexibility to blast by means of the highest, center and backside order of any facet on this planet.
A transparent match-winner at any given second and on any floor, the Khyber-born fast made his Pakistan debut in all codecs in 2018 and rose to the position of captain, albeit prematurely in hindsight, final 12 months.
He has already registered 124 ODI wickets in solely 60 matches and is the one seam bowler – in fourth place – within the high 5 of the ICC’s rating of ODI bowlers.
Each Shaheen and Babar have the flexibility to win matches on their very own – if the pair are each on hearth on the match, Pakistan could effectively retain the trophy in entrance of their house crowd.
