Shane Watson backs Glenn Maxwell to lead Australia to CT25 glory

Former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson has backed Glenn Maxwell for the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, saying the ‘stand-out’ player is crucial for the team’s triumph in the eight-team tournament.

Shane Watson, the two-time ICC Men’s Champions Trophy champion and one of the four Event Ambassadors for the 2025 tournament, said that Australia would be a formidable opponent, particularly if their dynamic all-rounder Glenn Maxwell plays well.

He said that Maxwell is the player who can guide Australia to another ODI title.

“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,” Shane Watson stated.

The former all-rounder also recalled Glenn Maxwell’s heroics against Afghanistan in the ODI World Cup 2023.

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“He [Glenn Maxwell] 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,” said Shane Watson.

“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.”

Placed in Group B, Australia will kick off their Champions Trophy campaign against arch-rivals England on February 22 at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium. They will face South Africa and Afghanistan on February 25 and 28 respectively.