ICC CHAMPIONS TROPHY: JOS BUTTLER-LED ENGLAND HAVE THEIR TASK CUT OUT

The 15-member England cricket team for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy was announced last month. Jos Buttler is set to lead the Three Lions. England are placed in Group B which has teams like Australia, South Africa and Afghanistan.

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The 15-member England cricket team for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy was announced last month. Jos Buttler is set to lead the Three Lions. England are placed in Group B which has teams like Australia, South Africa and Afghanistan. It won't be easy for England with three top teams on offer. England's group-stage matches are scheduled in Pakistan. England will be keen to perform well and extract the most from their squad, which looks pretty balanced on paper. The team is currently on a threeseries win-less run. Since a poor 2023 ODI World Cup campaign in India, England have lost three successive bilateral series, losing to West Indies (twice) and Australia (once). A lot will rely on how they fare against India in a three-match ODI series starting February 6. One will get a clear picture of England and what they would have in terms of offerings.

As per ESPNcricinfo, England have played 163 ODIS in Asia. They have claimed 76 wins in addition to losing 85. One match has been tied with one match not having a result. All eyes will be on how England batters face spin with their Group B rivals boasting quality names.

Here are the strengths, weaknesses, and key takeaways from England's Champions Trophy squad.

ENGLAND'S 15-MEMBER SQUAD: Jos Buttler (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood.

HERE ARE THE STRENGTHS