Depleted Australia Face Uphill Battle At Champions Trophy

An Australia team struggling for confidence and missing the wealth of experience that has long been the backbone of their success face a daunting task to win a first Champions Trophy title since 2009. The World Cup holders are without their "Big Three" pacemen -- Pat Cummins (ankle), Josh Hazlewood (hip) and Mitchell Starc, who has opted out for personal reasons. It is a giant hole to fill with the trio sharing 525 ODI wickets across a combined 308 games. Add in the absence of all-rounders Mitchell Marsh (back) and Marcus Stoinis (retired), and half of their regular team is missing.

Leg-spinner Adam Zampa is the only frontline bowler still standing for the tournament in Pakistan and Dubai.

The depleted side suffered a heavy 2-0 ODI series defeat last week in Sri Lanka, who failed to qualify for the Champions Trophy, and have now gone four 50-over games without a win.

Their death bowling is looming as a major concern.

The seamers Australia have selected -- Spencer Johnson, Sean Abbott, Nathan Ellis, Ben Dwarshuis and all-rounder Aaron Hardie -- have just 52 ODIs in total, for a sum of 56 wickets.

Ahead of their opening Champions Trophy match against old rivals England on Saturday in Lahore, chief selector George Bailey is adamant they have enough ammunition to do the job.

"We have a range of options to shape the playing XI within the tournament depending on the opposition and conditions we face," he said.

Drawn in Group B, they also face South Africa and Afghanistan.

Johnson will likely fill Starc's new-ball strike role, tasked with making the early breakthroughs that have become a hallmark of the veteran quick.

"It's obviously something I've pictured in my mind, to come in and play a similar role to him (Starc)," Johnson