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
Elvira holds his nerve to win 2026 Dubai Invitational
- The Spaniard finished top after five players had shared the lead on the final day at Dubai Creek Resort
DUBAI: A nerveless display during a roller-coaster final round saw Nacho Elvira come out on top to claim his third DP World Tour title at the 2026 Dubai Invitational.
No fewer than five players shared the lead on a chaotic Sunday at Dubai Creek Resort, where overnight leader Elvira cruised into a three-shot lead following a third birdie of the day at the seventh.
He left the door ajar when finishing his front nine with successive bogeys as Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Daniel Hillier and Marcus Armitage joined the Spaniard at the summit at nine under down the final stretch.
Lowry made his move with a birdie at the 15th, only to double bogey the last and spectacularly fall out of contention.
Hillier was the clubhouse leader at nine under, but Elvira carded his first birdie of the back nine at the 17th to earn a one-shot lead down the last and calmly rolled a final par for a brilliant victory.
“It means the world,” the 38-year-old said. “If you told me on Tuesday that I’d be winning this tournament I’d have never believed you.
“It’s a dream come true, especially having the family here. I’ve always dreamed to have my kids walking up to me with a win and anything that happens after this, nothing compares to this.
“I knew at some point it was going to be difficult, especially with the great players playing in front of me. I somehow managed to make a par on 10, managed somehow to make a par on 11 and I guess I calmed down a little after this and stayed patient.
“To be honest with you, I wasn’t nervous until the very last putt — the one-footer I had for the win. I knew what I needed to do, I knew I needed to be patient. I think there are so many positives from this week and I couldn’t be happier.”
Elvira opened with a birdie to maintain his two-shot overnight lead at nine under, but it was reduced to nothing when Lowry birdied three of his first four holes.
The Spaniard became the first man to reach double figures with a birdie at the fourth and when he birdied the seventh, he led by three at 11 under.
Lowry had bogeyed the latter hole to slip back to eight under alongside Armitage, who had birdied the first and seventh to reach that mark, before Elvira twitched at the top.
Bogeys at the eighth and ninth saw him drop to nine under and he was joined by Armitage after the Englishman’s birdie at the tenth.
McIlroy seemed out of contention after two dropped shots and gain during his opening seven holes, but he surged into co-leadership after five straight birdies from the ninth.
Hillier, who had eagled the 13th, joined the party at nine under after his fourth birdie of the day at the 15th.
Lowry made it a five-way tie for the lead with a birdie at the 13th before Armitage dropped back one with a bogey at the 14th.
The Irishman jumped ahead on his own with a 27-foot birdie putt at the 15th before Hillier set the clubhouse target of nine under following a flawless 65.
The world No. 26 was inches from increasing his lead to two shots at his 16th, while McIlroy almost holed out from a greenside bunker to birdie the last, but two-putted to fall back to eight under.
Elvira still had the final two holes to play and piled the pressure on Lowry with birdie at the penultimate hole to rejoin the lead at ten under.
Just as the Spaniard drained his seven-foot birdie putt, Lowry’s bunker shot flew the final green and into the water to card a stunning double bogey. That meant Elvira only needed a par on the 72nd hole for victory and he showed nerves of steel to do just that from one foot.
Elvira was handed the trophy by tournament host Abdullah Al Naboodah, chairman of Al-Naboodah Investments and European Tour Group non-executive board member.
“Congratulations to Nacho Elvira on an outstanding performance and well-earned victory,” he said.
“The caliber of golf from both our professionals and amateurs has been remarkable. The pro-am format is what makes the Dubai Invitational special, and it remains an honor to host the world’s best here. Thank you to everyone who took part and to our global partners DP World and Rolex, along with our tournament partners Discovery Land Company, Dubai Basketball, Gulfstream and Silverlake.
“We also extend our thanks to the Wasl and World of Hyatt for providing the unparalleled backdrop of the Dubai Creek Golf Club and special thanks to the Dubai Sports Council and the Emirates Golf Federation for their continued support for the tournament and golf in the region. We look forward to welcoming everyone back in 2028."
Frenchman Julien Guerrier bounced back from a double bogey at the second with seven birdies to sit in a share of third at eight under alongside Spain’s David Puig, McIlroy and Lowry.
Armitage double-bogeyed the last to join Matt Wallace and Dane Thorbjørn Olesen at six under, while France’s Antoine Rozner and South African duo Thriston Lawrence and Dylan Frittelli were one shot further back to wrap up the top 10.
