Australia captain Pat Cummins is "hugely unlikely" for the Champions Trophy 2025 because of injury while fellow paceman Josh Hazlewood is also a doubt, said coach Andrew McDonald

Pat Cummins skipped the ongoing Test tour of Sri Lanka for the birth of his second child but also has an ankle problem. The Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates begins on February 19

"Patty is hugely unlikely, which is a bit of shame, and we've also got Josh Hazlewood, who is battling (to be fit) at the moment," McDonald told radio station SEN

If Cummins doesn't feature for the marquee event, Australia will be left with a huge void to fill in. They will be left searching for a captain for the Champions Trophy 2025

Mitchell Marsh who leads the "Yellow Shirts" in the T20Is is already ruled out of the eight-nation tournament because of a back injury

Australia head coach Andrew McDonald stated that if Cummins misses out on the tournament, Steve Smith and Travis Head are the two contenders for the leadership spot. "Steve Smith and Travis Head are the two that we've been having conversations with while we've been building out that Champions Trophy team along with Pat back home. They'll be the two that we look at for that leadership post"