LAHORE: England skipper Jos Buttler expects Australia to pose a tough challenge when they meet in a Champions Trophy Group B clash in Lahore on Saturday, despite missing their pace trio.
Australia’s campaign in the eight-nation Champions Trophy was hit hard after their regular skipper Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood were ruled out due to ankle and hip injuries.
To add to their woes, spearhead Mitchell Starc withdrew from the event on personal reasons while Mitchell Marsh, suffering a back injury, and Marcus Stoinis shockingly retired from one-day internationals.
Experienced batter Steve Smith will take over as captain with an inexperienced pace attack, but Buttler did not underestimate the traditional rivals.
“They have been a real pillar of success for Australia for a long period of time, so naturally there’ll be a miss for their team,” Buttler told a news conference on Friday.
“But they’ve got some top players to step into those shoes as well and Australia always over time have performed very well in ICC tournaments.
“We expect a really tough challenge.”
Australia’s pace attack will be led by Sean Abbott, Spencer Johnson, Nathan Ellis and Ben Dwarshuis, while spinner Tanveer Sangha supplements Adam Zampa in spin bowling.
“England and Australia, there’s always a great rivalry and a competitive match. And obviously, in the Champions Trophy format, each game is really a massive game,” Buttler told reporters.
“So, we look forward to it.”
Buttler said fast bowler Jofra Archer is fit and raring to go.
“He’s been fit and firing now for... 18 months or so since being out of the game for a while. So, he’s really excited to put together a performance,” he said of the 29-year-old pacer.
Archer featured in all five Twenty20 internationals against India but missed the last two ODIs on the tour that preceded the Champions Trophy.
“He (Archer) is someone as a captain you always know you can turn to and throw the ball to,” Buttler added. “He’s obviously going to be really looking forward to the game tomorrow.”
England had announced their final eleven for the match on Thursday evening, recalling wicketkeeper batter Jamie Smith who will bat at three — a decision Buttler backed.
“He’s obviously got the game technically and tactically, but I think the head on his shoulders seems to be one of the biggest strengths,” he said.
“Nothing seems to faze him too much. I think you could ask him to bat anywhere in the line-up and it wouldn’t phase him. We feel it gives him a nice position to try and really impact the game.”
Buttler hoped conditions in Pakistan will be different from India where they lost T20I series 4-1 and one-day internationals 3-0.
“I think everywhere you go around the world, everywhere has its own nuances and different conditions. We’ve got lots of guys who’ve played in Pakistan before, so sharing those experiences,” he said.
England is the only top side not to have won the Champions Trophy, initiated in 1998 as the ICC (International Cricket Council) Knock-Out tournament.
Besides England and Australia, South Africa and Afghanistan are in Group B.
Defending champions and hosts Pakistan, India, New Zealand and Bangladesh comprise Group A. The top two teams from each Group will qualify for the semifinals.
Buttler not taking depleted Australia lightly in Champions Trophy
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Buttler not taking depleted Australia lightly in Champions Trophy
- The English skipper expects a ‘tough challenge’ despite a depleted Australia team
- Buttler says fast bowler Jofra Archer is excited to perform after 18-month absence
Sweden’s Ekstrom takes Dakar stage seven win in Saudi Arabia
- Qatar’s Nasser Al-Attiyah stays top in the car category
WADI AL-DAWASI: Mattias Ekstrom won stage seven of the Dakar Rally on Sunday as the field started the second week in Saudi Arabia with late drama for Toyota’s Henk Lategan while Qatar’s Nasser Al-Attiyah stayed top in the car category.
South African Lategan had looked like taking the stage and overall lead but let both slip through his fingers after the day’s final checkpoint.
Instead, Sweden’s Ekstrom, winner of the prologue in a Ford Raptor, became the first driver in the top car category to take more than one stage this year.
Lategan had led Ekstrom after 417 of 459km from Riyadh to Wadi Al-Dawasir, but finished eight minutes and 35 seconds behind the winner after having to stop for 10 minutes at the 428km mark.
Ekstrom moved up to second overall, four minutes and 47 seconds behind Dacia Sandriders’ five-times Dakar winner Al-Attiyah with Lategan third.
Spaniard Nani Roma was fourth for Ford after being reinstated by stewards late on Saturday’s rest day as winner of stage five and having a one minute and 10 second penalty rescinded.
In the motorcycle category, Australian Daniel Sanders extended his lead over American rival Ricky Brabec to four minutes and 25 seconds with Argentine rider Luciano Benavides a further 15 seconds adrift.
Sanders had been a mere 45 seconds clear after Friday’s sixth stage but Honda’s Brabec finished the 459km stage 10th to the Australian’s fourth.
Argentine Benavides won the stage, his second triumph of the event, in a one-two for the Red Bull KTM factory team with Spaniard Edgar Canet, while Honda’s French challenger Adrien Van Beveren was third.
Monday’s 481km stage eight is the longest of the race with riders and drivers navigating canyons and dunes around Wadi Ad Dawasir.
