The trend of players being ruled out of the Champions Trophy continues, as another cricketer will miss the tournament. New Zealand fast bowler Ben Sears has been ruled out of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025. The ICC event’s technical committee has approved Jacob Duffy as Sears’ replacement in the New Zealand squad.
According to New Zealand Cricket, Ben Sears suffered a hamstring injury during a training session in Karachi, which has forced him out of the tournament. Jacob Duffy, who was already with the New Zealand team for the ongoing tri-series, has been included in the squad as Sears’ replacement. Duffy has played 10 One Day Internationals (ODIs).
Saim Ayub, Jasprit Bumrah, Anrich Nortje have also been ruled out of the ICC Champions Trophy due to injuries
Approval from the technical committee is mandatory before officially including a replacement player in the squad. The ICC Champions Trophy technical committee comprises ICC General Manager Wasim Khan, Sarah Edgar, PCB Director International Usman Wahla, and Shaun Pollock.
It is worth mentioning that Pakistan’s Saim Ayub and India’s Jasprit Bumrah have also been ruled out of the tournament due to injuries, while Australia’s Mitchell Starc has withdrawn due to personal reasons. Afghanistan’s spinner AM Ghazanfar will also miss the tournament due to fitness issues, and South Africa will be without fast bowler Anrich Nortje. The ICC Champions Trophy will be hosted by Pakistan from February 19 to March 9.
