Five questions facing the Aussies

What to do with Chris Lynn?

One of the most feared, destructive and in-form batsmen in the world right now, Lynn presents a fascinating selection case. While he’s an undoubted match-winner, he’s also played just a single one-day international and only 10 50-over matches since November 2013, while his lack of experience in England and recent injury troubles also weaken his case for inclusion in the XI. Just what role Lynn will play in this tournament, if any, is likely to become clearer in Australia’s warm-up matches on Friday and Monday.

What they said: "I would never knock back the opportunity to open. You only get a couple of fielders outside the ring for 10 overs. That would be my preferred spot. Obviously it's whatever role that 'Smithy' would give me, I'm comfortable wherever. It's a privilege to be a part of that line-up. I've got no issues coming in at the death and trying to bang the ball. You go out there with freedom, with a license to whack the ball. That's something I'm more than comfortable with." – Chris Lynn

Who will open with David Warner?

Aaron Finch is seemingly the front-runner here and got the backing of coach and selector Darren Lehmann a week ago, but the Victorian’s recent form at this level means there’s still a slight question mark. Finch was dropped on form in January before returning for the tour of New Zealand later that month and his experience both alongside Warner in Australian colours and in English conditions adds weight to his case. But given Travis Head scored a century batting at the top on Australia Day and Lynn has also put his hand up to open, the Aussies have options.

What they said: "So you don't want Warner to open? (Or) you don't want Finch to open? We'll sum up what we think the best XI is and then work out a batting order from there. The advantage is with England we know the wickets might do a little bit early, so we'll have to work out what our best line-up is (with that in mind). First (Lynn has) got to get selected in the XI and then the captain will tell him where he's going to bat." – Darren Lehmann

Will the 'Big Four' all play in the same XI?

With four allrounders in the squad all capable of batting in the top six, there’s definitely scope for the Aussies to squeeze all of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and James Pattinson into the same side for the very first time at international level. A frightening all-pace attack could work alongside the variety offered by the quartet of allrounders, who provide either a spin (Travis Head and Glenn Maxwell) or medium pace (Marcus Stoinis and Moises Henriques) alternative. But don’t forget John Hastings, whose strong recent form and experience in England could earn him the nod ahead of one of the Big Four, while Adam Zampa also has a case (see below).

What they said: "I think (Hastings) is underestimated a bit in what he offers our team. He's that point of difference. He hasn't got the pace that the other four of us have, but he's got fantastic skills, he's got slower balls and he's really good at the death as well. He's really tall, he's probably the tallest out of the five of us, so he can generate that bounce. And in England, it'll be different conditions early in their summer, so that could play another part as well. So I think having five guys there who offer something different and you throw in Moises Henriques and Marcus Stoinis as well, we've got a good battery of quicks who can bowl serious pace, have some serious skill and have good experience bowling at the death." – Mitchell Starc

Will Adam Zampa play a role?

The presence of five genuine fast-bowling options and two spin-bowling allrounders in the squad as well as the early-season conditions all work against the leg-spinner winning a spot, but Zampa might have a big role to play later in the tournament. With just three venues in use, the heavy traffic on the centre wicket square at Edgbaston, Cardiff and The Oval during the group stage will mean spin is likely to be a factor in the semi-finals and finals, just like it was four years ago when India won the 2013 decider against England on a dry Edgbaston surface that favoured the tourists far more than it did the hosts. Zampa has done nothing wrong since making his ODI debut last year and showed impressive resolve under pressure again with the crucial wickets of Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard in the IPL final on Sunday.

What they said: "Recently when I’ve been dropped from sides I’ve been quite disappointed because I feel like I’ve done well but they’ve gone for something else. But now I understand where my role sits in the squad or in the team with the amount of fast-bowling power we’ve got. I’m expecting to play if the conditions suit and they’ve made it pretty obvious to me that leg-spin does play a role in one-day cricket but more when the conditions suit, which is fair enough. Depending on what we get in England I’ll be ready to go, I’ll be training hard and I’ll just try to take my opportunity where I can because I’m not really sure what to expect in the Champions Trophy." – Adam Zampa

Which allrounders will get the nod?

The four allrounders in the squad are seemingly fighting for possibly only two positions in the middle order, and all four present a strong case for inclusion. Head will be hard to dislodge after an impressive opening 12 months in the Australian side with both bat and ball, while Stoinis’s remarkable century against New Zealand earlier in the year has given him plenty of any athlete’s most prized quality – confidence. Maxwell too is on a high after his breakthrough Test tour of India and has shown good signs since regaining his ODI spot last summer and while Henriques is probably the least likely of the four, his form with the bat in Shield cricket as well as the BBL and IPL this year has been outstanding.

What they said: "It's such a good team and there's probably only a few guaranteed spots in there so everything's up for grabs. We've got a couple of practice games ... you've just got to take your opportunity and hopefully I get one. You don't get many opportunities in the Australian cricket team ... so it was good to take that (chance in New Zealand) early on and hopefully that stands me in good stead for the competition." – Marcus Stoinis

Champions Trophy 2017 Guide

AUSTRALIA SQUAD: Steve Smith (c), David Warner, Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch, John Hastings, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, Adam Zampa

Other squads: Every Champions Trophy squad

Group A: Australia, New Zealand, England, Bangladesh.

Group B: India, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Pakistan.

Schedule

Warm-up matches

26 May – Australia v Sri Lanka, The Oval

27 May – Bangladesh v Pakistan, Edgbaston

28 May – India v New Zealand, The Oval

29 May – Australia v Pakistan, Edgbaston

30 May – New Zealand v Sri Lanka, Edgbaston

30 May – Bangladesh vs India, The Oval

Tournament

1 June – England v Bangladesh, The Oval (Day)

2 June – Australia v New Zealand, Edgbaston (D)

3 June – Sri Lanka v South Africa, The Oval (D)

4 June – India v Pakistan, Edgbaston (D)

5 June – Australia v Bangladesh, The Oval (D/N)

6 June – England v New Zealand, Cardiff (D)

7 June – Pakistan v South Africa, Edgbaston (D/N)

8 June – India v Sri Lanka, The Oval (D)

9 June – New Zealand v Bangladesh, Cardiff (D)

10 June – England v Australia, Edgbaston (D)

11 June – India v South Africa, The Oval (D)

12 June – Sri Lanka v Pakistan, Cardiff (D)

14 June – First semi-final (A1 v B2), Cardiff (D)

15 June – Second semi-final (A2 v B1), Edgbaston (D)

18 June – Final, The Oval (D)

19 June – Reserve day (D)