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Champions Trophy 2025: File picture of Australian opener Matthew Brief© AFP
Australian opener Matthew Brief will probably miss the Champions Trophy semifinal in opposition to both India or New Zealand after the in-form batter suffered a quad damage within the washed out match in opposition to Afghanistan. Brief had scored a 15-ball 20 on Friday however had appeared in seen ache earlier than he was dismissed by Azmatullah Omarzai as Australia superior to the semifinals with 4 factors. The 29-year-old white-ball participant had scored 63 as Steve Smith’s Australia had chased down England’s mammoth 351 of their opening match of the Champions Trophy.
Smith mentioned he did not suppose the star opener could be match to play in subsequent week’s semifinal.
“I think he’ll be struggling. I think we saw tonight he wasn’t moving very well. I think it’s probably going to be too quick between games for him to recover,” Smith was quoted as saying on Prime Video by Australian Related Press (AAP).
Australia may embrace in big-hitter Jake Fraser-McGurk as a like-for-like substitute within the taking part in XI, although he suffered two failures within the current one-day collection in Sri Lanka.
All-rounder Aaron Hardie too might be an choice, whereas the crew additionally has Cooper Connolly as a travelling reserve in case Brief is totally dominated out from the match.
“We’ve got a few guys there to come in to fill a job,” added Smith.
Australia will both play the semfinal in opposition to India in Dubai on Tuesday or in opposition to New Zealand on Wednesday in Lahore, as their opponents will solely be recognized after Sunday’s group conflict between Rohit Sharma’s aspect and the Black Caps in Dubai.
Australia are at the moment main Group B with 4 factors however that may change if South Africa, who’re on three factors, defeat England in Saturday’s ultimate group tie in Karachi.
There’s additionally an especially distant chance of Afghanistan ending second behind Australia within the group and qualifying, however provided that Jos Buttler’s England crush South Africa, which statistically, seems extremely unlikely.
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