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LAHORE, Feb 21 (APP):Former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson has said that the explosive all-rounder Glenn Maxwell will dominate the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 and win it for Australia.
Speaking at the ICC Media Zone on Friday, Shane Watson said Maxwell, who won player of series in BBL 2025, has more cricket left in him and his best cricket is still to come.
But with just one win from their last five ODI matches – and key bowlers Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc all missing from the squad – questions have been raised about their ability to claim the trophy in Pakistan.
However, Watson, member of the two-time ICC Men’s Champions Trophy winning team and one of the four Event Ambassadors for the 2025 edition, insists they will be a tough team to beat, especially if their explosive all-rounder fires.
Watson won player of the match in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2006 and 2009 editions besides hitting back-to-back 100s in the semi-final and final of the 2009 edition of Champions Trophy in South Africa knows very well what it takes to win titles for the country.
“With what I have seen recently, especially in the Big Bash, I believe he has some of his best cricket in front of him across the next two or three years and I would be very surprised if he does not dominate this Champions Trophy,” Watson said.
“He had that incredible innings against Afghanistan in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, where he scored a double century, but he has struggled to be consistent at times. That’s the nature of his role in the team.
“Australia has the services of an inexperienced bowling squad in the absence of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Stark but he believed the Kangroos will be very hard to beat, even if their bowling squad is not quite as experienced as it might otherwise have been.
“The Australian bowling pack will be led by Nathan Ellis and Spencer Johnson who have 10 ODI caps between them with Sean Abbott is the most experienced of the lot with 26 ODI caps.
“You have to be at your very best in this event, with this format – you have to hit the ground sprinting, let alone running,” he said.
Watson believes the fast bowlers may be inexperienced as a group in internationals but these quicks have all played high-pressure cricket in the Big Bash and other T20 tournaments – they know how to execute under pressure.
On the other finalist, Shane Watson believes India will once again be strong contenders and a major threat to the Australian dream.
He said India have an incredibly strong squad and the conditions will suit them of course, adding that it’s a squad that is used to hot and humid conditions, so they will be hard to beat. India have a similar player pool from the last World Cup, and that consistency is hard to overlook.
“I really like Hardik Pandya, if he can stay fit then he can offer so much flexibility and skill – he’s probably the key one for me.”
He also expressed his liking for the South African squad, adding that the Proteas made to the final in the last ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and have so much talent there.
On South Africa batting line-up, he said the batting line-up is so good, they have Heinrich Klaasen, who is one of the best short-format batters in the world, and David Miller as well.
“I would be surprised if they don’t get over the line in an ICC event soon because this generation has the talent and doesn’t have the scars. If they do, the floodgates could well open,” Watson added.