Former Australian cricketer Shane Watson has named batting all-rounder Glenn Maxwell as Australia’s potential standout player in the 2025 Champions Trophy. Praising ‘The Big Show,’ Watson believes Maxwell is entering his prime and expects him to shine over the next two to three years.
Watson expects Maxwell to dominate the tournament. Australia will kick off their Champions Trophy campaign against England at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on February 22. Placed in Group B with South Africa and Afghanistan, they watched the Proteas secure a 107-run win over Afghanistan in the group’s opening match in Karachi.
In a column for the ICC, Shane Watson shared his insights ahead of the Australia vs. England match, backing Maxwell to have an exceptional tournament. As one of the four Event Ambassadors, the former all-rounder expressed his confidence in Maxwell’s impact. He said:
“The stand-out player for me is Glenn Maxwell. 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.”
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Maxwell impressed in the 2024-25 Big Bash League, scoring 325 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of 186.78. He also played a crucial role in Australia’s 2023 World Cup triumph, contributing 400 runs in nine matches. Highlighting Maxwell’s potential in major tournaments, Watson added:
“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.”
”However, it now just feels like it has all fallen into place for him, and that’s with everything in his life, not just his cricket, so I think he will play a pivotal part.”
“I believe Australia will be tough to defeat”- Watson
Australia, the reigning ODI world champions, will be without several key players in the 2025 Champions Trophy. Captain Pat Cummins, along with Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Marsh, have all been sidelined due to injuries.
Adding to the setbacks, all-rounder Marcus Stoinis announced a surprise retirement from ODIs just days before the tournament. Despite these absences, Shane Watson has expressed confidence in Steve Smith’s leadership, backing Australia to deliver a strong performance. The 43-year-old stated:
“I think Australia will be very hard to beat, even if their bowling squad is not quite as experienced as they might otherwise have been.”
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