ICC Champions Trophy: The five Australian players to watch out for

Here are the top-5 players who are likely to pose maximum threat to the opposition during the course of the Champions Trophy in England

Michael Clarke: A skipper-par-excellence, Clarke has matured immensely through the course of being the skipper of the side. There have been challenging times for him but this 32-year-old has repeatedly shown that he can rise from chaos and take his team to new heights.

Clarke may be under pressure on three fronts ahead of the tournament:

Firstly as skipper, he would like to put recent unfortunate episodes behind him. This includes defeats as well as rumoured dis-content in the side.

Secondly as a player, Clarke has only just recovered from a back injury and although he has been declared fit, will have to be cautious.

Finally as an Australian cricketer, expectations of a hat-trick of Champions Trophy wins will be high.

Clarke seems to have a good equation with Protean coach Mickey Arthur and will now look to battle past the challenges, towards victory.

Shane Watson: Give him a bat and he will hoist the ball beyond. Throw him the ball and he will ensure batsmen can't. Watson is a strong force through the course of a match.

While whether he will bowl for his side remains unclear, Watson almost always has a separate section in opposing teams' battle plans. And why not? He scored 266 runs in the previous edition of the tournament at an average of 88.63. His was second only to then-Australia skipper Ricky Ponting who scored 22 more.

Watson has been a key member of the Rajasthan Royals' side in the Indian Premier League and though the formats are different, will look to extend his good form for his national side as well.

David Warner: He may have been penalized recently for breaking Cricket Australia's code of conduct but Warner is usually famous for breaking bowlers' rhythm.

An explosive prospect right up at the top, Warner is unforgiving if he finds form and gets going. With experience on his side, the 26-year-old will hope to shine in his debut appearance in Champions Trophy.

As is the case with Watson, Warner played the Indian Premier League and therefore, won't need a jump-start when he comes out to bat in the English conditions. He however was rather tentative for Delhi Daredevils, something his Australian teammates would be hoping against when they play together.

Mitchell Johnson: Not many would have their eyes peeled to catch his every delivery but Johnson is surely expected to keep batsmen guessing during the course of Champions Trophy.

Conditions in England will suit Johnson's style and with vast amounts of experience backing him, this 31-year-old can be menacing both with the new ball as well as in the dying stages of a match.

His performance in the last edition was mediocre though. This time, he will be looking to better his 4-wicket tally.

Mitchell Starc: He is young and he is confident. In a recent interview, Starc said he was sure that his side would prove doubters wrong when asked about Ashes prospects. This 23-year-old will be looking to back up his words with solid performances.

The left-handed pacer has had to struggle to prove his immense talent. For instance, he toiled hard on the tour of India and later said it was a learning experience. Not expected to go reward-less on similar lines, especially in English conditions, Starc will surely keep fans glued onto him when he comes in to bowl.