LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — Australia emerged victorious in the toss and opted to field first against England in their inaugural Group B encounter on Saturday at the prestigious Champions Trophy. Leading the Australian squad is Steven Smith, as their triumphant pace trio of captain Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc had to withdraw from the tournament due to injuries and personal circumstances. In a surprising turn of events, all-rounder Marcus Stoinis has unexpectedly announced his retirement from One Day Internationals.
To compensate for the absence of Cummins, Hazlewood, and Starc, fast bowlers Ben Dwarshius, Nathan Ellis, and Spencer Johnson have been brought in to bolster the playing XI, alongside Adam Zampa, the sole frontline spinner in the team. Australia faced a less than ideal preparation leading up to the competition, suffering defeats in the home series against Pakistan and a whitewash in Sri Lanka earlier in the month.
England, entering the Champions Trophy after a disappointing series loss in India, has made strategic changes by promoting wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith to the crucial No. 3 position, resulting in Joe Root batting at No. 4. With Smith returning from a calf injury, he will resume wicketkeeping duties from Phil Salt. England’s bowling attack will primarily rely on the pace duo of Mark Wood and Jofra Archer, supported by Brydon Carse as the additional pace option. All-rounder Liam Livingstone and Root will contribute as the fifth bowling option, with Adil Rashid providing the sole specialist spin in the playing XI.
Pakistan is hosting its first major ICC tournament in nearly three decades, since co-hosting the 1996 World Cup with India and Sri Lanka. In the opening matches, New Zealand and India secured victories in Group A against Pakistan and Bangladesh, respectively, while South Africa commenced their campaign in Group B with a resounding 107-run win against Afghanistan in Karachi on Friday.
**Lineups**:
**England**: Phil Salt, Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler (captain), Liam Livingstone, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood.
**Australia**: Travis Head, Matthew Short, Steven Smith (captain), Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey, Glenn Maxwell, Ben Dwarshius, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Spencer Johnson.
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