By Suramya Kaushik
(Reuters) – Former Australia opener David Warner has backed the one-day World Cup holders to do well in the Champions Trophy later this month despite losing several key players close to the tournament.
Australia will need to make four changes to their preliminary squad for the eight-team tournament beginning on February 19 in Karachi, Pakistan.
Regular captain Pat Cummins, fellow quick Josh Hazlewood and all-rounder Mitch Marsh have been ruled out with injuries, while Marcus Stoinis withdrew himself after his shock decision to quit ODIs on Thursday.
“Australia are very good in the World Cups and Champions Trophies and in tournament play. So, the Australian team knows how to win. They know how to succeed. It doesn’t matter what players they play,” Warner told a virtual press conference.
“The guys are all built with playing under pressure. So, I think, whoever replaces those guys would do very well and the team in general would do great as well.”
Australia have won the Champions Trophy twice, in 2006 and 2009, making them the most successful team in the tournament alongside India, who won in 2002 and 2013.
Australia are presently engaged in a two-match test series in Sri Lanka, leading 1-0 following a comprehensive innings and 242-run victory in the opening test in Galle.
Asked about Australia’s decision to drop Sam Konstas and promote Travis Head as Usman Khawaja’s opening partner, Warner deferred the question to the selectors.
“They’ve obviously wanted to get off to a good start and be positive. I think that’s what they envisaged with Travis Head going up the order. But, I don’t know. You’d have to ask them (selectors) why that happened,” Warner said.
Warner, who retired from Twenty20s after Australia’s 2024 T20 World Cup exit, is currently representing the Dubai Capitals in the International League T20 (ILT20) in the United Arab Emirates.
Capitals will play the ILT20 final against Desert Vipers on Sunday.
(Reporting by Suramya Kaushik in Bengaluru; editing by Clare Fallon)
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