The fickle nature of the ICC Champions Trophy will be at the top of the minds of a befuddled England and severely undermanned Australia in Lahore on Saturday, where defeat will leave the losing team struggling to make the semi-finals of the tricky Group B. 

As Pakistan found out in the first game of the tournament, there is no room for a slip-up. And these two storied rivals, both grappling with a roster of problems, could play out a potential cracker at the refurbished Gaddafi Stadium, but for the wrong reasons. 

Australia, who have not won the Champions Trophy since 2009, have lost nearly half their 2023 ODI World Cup squad. They are without Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Marsh, Cameron Green (all injured), David Warner, Marcus Stoinis (retired) and Mitchell Starc (personal reasons) and are coming off a 0-2 loss to Sri Lanka, who have not qualified for the tournament. 

England were soundly beaten 0-3 in India recently, and since they limped out of the 2023 World Cup, this team has lost 10 of 14 ODIs to slip to seventh place in the ICC rankings. 

In another time, you could have looked at the two teams and their predicaments and scoffed at this fixture. But it could end up being a riveting contest, with both England and Australia having plenty of issues in ODIs these days. And, as Travis Head stressed 48 hours before the match, the format of the Champions Trophy is “pretty cut-throat”. 

In the absence of their star pace trio and handy allrounders such as Stoinis and Marsh, Australia will have to cobble together a bowling attack from Sean Abbott (28 ODIs played in 11 years), Aaron Hardie (13 ODIs), Nathan Ellis (nine ODIs), Spencer Johnson (three ODIs) and Ben Dwarshius (two ODIs). Raw, yes, but still capable of taking wickets on Pakistan’s run-filled tracks. Add on Adam Zampa, and Australia’s bowling does not look as frail as the batting.

Travis Head can do some incredible things, but to expect him to consistently do the heavy lifting is ridiculous. Matt Short has been given a long rope and needs to deliver. Steve Smith, the leader of this Australian team, will need to live up to his billing as a two-time World Cup winner. He has two fifties in 12 ODI innings since the 2023 World Cup. 

Marnus Labuschagne is in a funk, Josh Inglis has some Test form to point for, Glenn Maxwell is in a rut and Alex Carey is back in the mix after impressing in England last year. But who knows? On those Pakistan featherbeds, each of these Australian batsmen could find it easy. 

England named their 11 two days before the match, with the returning Jamie Smith set to bat at one-down and keep wickets ahead of Phil Salt. Smith missed the last two T20Is and the three ODIs in India recently with a calf injury and has never batted higher than No 5 in his seven previous 50-over games for England. The bowling for this match will comprise of Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Brydon Carse, Adil Rashid, Liam Livingstone and Joe Root.

England playing 11: 1 Phil Salt, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Jamie Smith (wk), 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Jos Buttler (capt), 7 Liam Livingstone, 8 Brydon Carse, 9 Jorfra Archer, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Mark Wood

Australia probable playing 11: 1 Travis Head, 2 Matt Short, 3 Steve Smith (capt), 4 Marnus Labuschagne, 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Alex Carey (wk), 7 Aaron Hardie, 8 Sean Abbott, 9 Nathan Ellis, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Spencer Johnson