The Australian cricket team arrived in Lahore on Monday to participate in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
The tournament is set to begin on February 19 with Australia’s first match scheduled for February 22 against their arch-rivals, England at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium.
The team landed in two separate groups. The first group, which included team captain Steve Smith, coaches, and support staff, arrived from Colombo via Dubai. The second group, comprising 15 players and two additional members of the support staff, followed the same route and reached Lahore later the same day.
Notable players who arrived in Lahore include Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Travis Head, Matthew Short, and Adam Zampa. The Australian team opted out of participating in warm-up matches, as they had recently been involved in a two-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, which they lost 2-0.
Australia's first match in the Champions Trophy will be against England on February 22 at Gaddafi Stadium. Their second match will be against South Africa on February 25 at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, followed by a final group-stage encounter against Afghanistan on February 28, again at Gaddafi Stadium.
Australia’s Champions Trophy squad for 2025 includes Steve Smith (captain), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Matthew Short, and Adam Zampa. Cooper Connolly is the travelling reserve.
Meanwhile, the excitement surrounding the highly anticipated India-Pakistan clash in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 has reached new heights, with tickets for the February 23 match in Dubai selling out within record time. The initial batch of tickets was snapped up within just one hour of release, driven by a massive demand from cricket fans across the globe.
In response to the overwhelming interest, the International Cricket Council (ICC) quickly announced the release of additional tickets. However, these tickets also sold out within 90 minutes, with fans rushing to secure their seats for the historic encounter.
According to reports, between 20,000 to 30,000 fans competed online for a chance to attend the match, making it one of the most sought-after events of the tournament.
Champions Trophy 2025 schedule
Feb 19, Wed
Pakistan vs New Zealand, 1st Match, Group A- National Stadium, Karachi
Feb 20, Thu
Bangladesh vs India, 2nd Match, Group A- Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
Feb 21, Fri
Afghanistan vs South Africa, 3rd Match, Group B- National Stadium, Karachi
Feb 22, Sat
Australia vs England, 4th Match, Group B- Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
Feb 23, Sun
Pakistan vs India, 5th Match, Group A- Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
Feb 24, Mon
Bangladesh vs New Zealand, 6th Match, Group A- Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
Feb 25, Tue
Australia vs South Africa, 7th Match, Group B- Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
Feb 26, Wed
Afghanistan vs England, 8th Match, Group B- Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
Feb 27, Thu
Pakistan vs Bangladesh, 9th Match, Group A- Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
Feb 28, Fri
Afghanistan vs Australia, 10th Match, Group B- Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
Mar 01, Sat
South Africa vs England, 11th Match, Group B- National Stadium, Karachi
Mar 02, Sun
New Zealand vs India, 12th Match, Group A- Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
Mar 04, Tue
1st Semi-Final (A1 v B2)- Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
Mar 05, Wed
2nd Semi-Final (B1 v A2)- Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
Mar 09, Sun
Final
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