Australia has announced a 15-man squad for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy competition, with big-name stars missing out on selection.

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Young gun Jake Fraser-McGurk was the most notable snub alongside Sean Abbott, while Marcus Stoinis and Matt Short were named in the group to travel to Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Nathan Ellis could find himself playing a big role with an injury cloud surrounding captain Pat Cummins.

Here, we break down the winners and losers from Australia’s Champions Trophy squad announcement.

WINNERS

Marcus Stoinis

The all-rounder was only recently re-called to the Australian ODI team, earning selection for this summer’s three-game series against Pakistan, having been dropped following the World Cup win in India in 2023.

Stoinis only featured in Game III of that series, scoring eight before opening the bowling with three overs, before Pakistan chased down a lowly total of 140.

With Mitch Marsh returning to this squad, there was a strong chance Stoinis could have found himself ousted for the Champions Trophy with little international form to go off.

However, with a host of strong performances in the BBL for the Stars, the gun all-rounder has saved his spot.

He did so by tallying scores of 37, 62 and 48, while he’s only scored under 18 once in nine appearances.

Stoinis has also taken three handy wickets, and bowled fairly economically, having increased his load with the ball in hand.

His inclusion marks a sharp change in fortunes for the all-rounder who was once considered to be coming close to the end of his ODI career.

“I’d be surprised if Marcus Stoinis plays another ODI,” cricket writer Daniel Cherny said on SEN in January 2024.

“I mean, it’s not impossible, but he’s 35 this year and let’s be honest, his ODI form over the last four or five years, particularly with the bat has been pretty average.

“He obviously lost his spot there in the World Cup. But he’s had an excellent career, he’s a World Cup winner in both ODI and T20 formats.”

Stoinis was then snubbed in the Cricket Australia central contracts list for the 2024-25 season, leaving the writing on the wall.

As such, selection in the Champions Trophy can be seen as a massive lifeline in the international career of the veteran right-hander.

It remains to be seen if Stoinis will make it back into Australia’s XI. But with the BBL season ongoing, and with Stoinis in-form, he has a big opportunity to push his case further.

Mitch Marsh

With Marsh’s career reaching another low ebb this summer, his inclusion in this squad may be the circuit-breaker he needs.

Marsh was dropped from the Test side for the fourth and final clash in the recent India series, with Beau Webster winning the all-rounder spot.

That decision came after the Western Australian bowled only 13 overs in three Tests to go with scores of 9, 5, 4, 2 and 0.

“‘Mitchy’ obviously hasn’t quite got the runs, and perhaps wickets this series,” Cummins said.

“So we felt like it was time for a freshen up and Beau’s been great.

“It’s a shame for Mitchy, because we know how much he brings to the team, but feel like now it’s a good week for Beau to get a chance.”

Marsh was then left out of the squad for the Sri Lanka series, meaning his future as a Test cricketer is now up in the air.

He can at least rest easy about his spot in Australia’s 50-over team, with his white ball stocks still in good health.

Marsh’s spot in the ODI side was never truly under jeopardy, despite his recent form struggles.

The 33-year-old scored a staggering, and unbeaten, 177 against Bangladesh in November 2023 in a mammoth World Cup performance.

Throw in the mix a 121 a month prior, and a 60 against England in September 2024, and it’s clear Marsh has been a significant contributor in the 50-over format for Australia.

And while his confidence may be down at the moment, the Champions Trophy could serve as a huge chance for Marsh to bounce back in a big way — even if he doesn’t play Test cricket again.

Matt Short

With Travis Head returning to the top of the order for the Champions Trophy, one of Matt Short and Jake Fraser-McGurk had to make way.

Selectors sided with short, making the bold call to overlook Fraser-McGurk, who was seen as a rising star, and tipped by David Warner to be his long-term successor.

Fraser-McGurk has failed to make the most of his opportunities in the green and gold — but the same could be said for Short who averaged only 14 in his three appearances against Pakistan.

The 29-year-old has averaged 21.66 on ODIs, with a top score of 58, featuring in 11 games.

Short does, however, offer a fast off-break which could prove to be a solid option for the Australians on the subcontinent, where spin spill be key.

After starting his BBL campaign slowly, Short has been on-fire for the Strikers, belting 52 and 109 in his last two games.

A century last week rewrote the record books for the Adelaide franchise, with his ton coming off only 49 balls to become the fastest in Strikers history.

Adam Gilchrist described the century as “simply magnificent”, adding “He’s always there when his team needs him.”

The knock couldn’t have come at a better time with selectors needing to make a call between him and Fraser-McGurk.

Nathan Ellis

Australia have picked their big three pace bowlers in Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc.

But with Ellis also in the squad, and an injury cloud hanging over Cummins’ ankle, the Tasmanian gun could well find himself a regular fixture in the Champions Trophy side.

The 30-year-old has played eight ODI games to date, taking 10 wickets at an average of 38.20.

However, he has bowled economically in those games, with batsmen only able to score 5.96 runs per over.

Ellis has also bowled some impressive spells for the Hurricanes in BBL14, taking 2/12 against the Renegades and 1/28 against the Scorchers.

But where he may well have won his place in the white ball squad were his recent performances against Pakistan.

Ellis took 3/9 in a staggering T20 spell in Brisbane to go with 1/20 on home soil in Hobart.

The gun seamer has all the tricks needed to succeed in the shorter formats, with a variety of slower balls and cutters ready to bamboozle batsmen.

He also has the experience of playing white ball cricket for Australia on the subcontinent.

Ellis took four three-wicket hauls or better against Bangladesh and India in T20s between August 2021 and November 2023,

Now the Tasmanian could get a huge change to showcase his skills in the 50-over format once again.

LOSERS

Jake Fraser-McGurk

Fraser-McGurk struggled for runs in his most recent Australian appearances, playing all three games in the T20 and ODI series against Pakistan but failing to fire.

In the shorter format, the 22-year-old scored only 47 runs, while he tallied 36 at an average of 12 in the 50 over games.

Fraser-McGurk is one of the world’s most explosive batsmen, but his aggressive style hasn’t served him well so far this summer.

In the current BBL season, he’s only scored more than 20 twice.

His highest ODI score in five games for Australia also only sits at 41 so the rising star has come under heavy scrutiny for the swashbuckling style he’s remained committed to.

Now, with Travis Head returning to the squad, and Short in form and making the most of his chances, Fraser-McGurk finds himself on the outer.

The decision from Australian selectors comes after former Aussie opener Warner suggested the 22-year-old could run into trouble with his approach.

“We were talking about whether his game plan will change. Well it won’t,” Warner said on Fox Cricket.

“He’s happy with the way that he approaches the game, (but) he’d like a few more runs… If you’re not scoring runs, the solution to that is you’re going to get dropped.

“That method he thinks is going to work for him, but sometimes you might have to tinker with that a little bit if you’re not scoring runs.”

Meanwhile, Aussie legend Adam Gilchrist said: “He’s dynamite, he’s box office.

“(But) I hope someone’s saying to him there’s no shame in maybe backing off a bit. You don’t have to do what everyone expects you’re going to do.”

Fraser-McGurk will be hoping for a strong finish to the BBL campaign with the Renegades and will then try to regain some form South Australia when the One Day Cup kicks off again in February.

Sean Abbott

Abbott was the odd man out as Australia picked a specialist pace trio and several all-rounders

The 32-year-old played in two games of the most recent ODI series against Pakistan, but he failed to capitalise on his chances.

Abbott took only a single wicket in his 14 overs, averaging 83 with an economy of 5.92.

While he’s the BBL’s most prolific bowler – having taken the most wickets in the history of the T20 competition – Abbott hasn’t yet been able to fully establish himself in the national setup.

That’s despite previously being a regular fixture in Australian squads, featuring in the wider group for the recent India Test series and also being named in the 2023 World Cup squad.

But with the return of Mitchell Marsh, who sat out against Pakistan due to personal reasons, Abbott has been squeezed out as a potential all-rounder.

Australia’s pace overs will come from Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc alongside white ball specialist Nathan Ellis.

Meanwhile, Marcus Stoinis’ bowling load has increased in BBL14, while Marsh, Glenn Maxwell and Aaron Hardie can also provide overs if called upon.

Like Fraser-McGurk, Abbott will now likely feature in the One Day Cup for NSW once those fixtures roll around in February.

With a host of strong performances, the gun seamer could still force his way back into calculations in the future.

Beau Webster

Webster enjoyed a successful Test debut at the SCG, proving he belongs at the top level with his impressive all-round game.

While he certainly wasn’t a lock for this squad, he’s among those who could consider themselves unlucky to miss out.

The 31-year-old has the ability to bowl both pace and spin, with his versatility likely a big factor in his selection for the Test tour of Sri Lanka.

The Tasmanian’s Sheffield Shield record is impressive, scoring 5393 runs at an average of 38.24, with 12 centuries, however, his List A statistics are less eye-catching.

He averages 31.35 in One Dayers with the bat, and 31.02 with the ball, so selectors may see him primarily as a Test player for now.