Steve Smith to Captain in Sri Lanka

Australia has announced their squad for the Test series against Sri Lanka, with the biggest surprise being Steve Smith’s appointment as captain. Smith, who lost the captaincy and faced a ban following the Sandpaper scandal, has now been reinstated as Australia’s skipper.

Regular captain Pat Cummins has opted out of the series to stay by his pregnant wife’s side. Additionally, Australia has rested several regular players, including Scott Boland, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Marsh, for this series. Nathan McSweeney, who was dropped after the last two Tests against India, has been recalled.

Australia’s chief selector George Bailey remarked,
“Touring Sri Lanka is always challenging. Young players will have the opportunity to gain valuable experience playing in new conditions. It will be a significant step in their Test careers. Our final XI will be decided based on the pitch conditions.”

Australia has already secured their spot in the World Test Championship final by defeating India 3-1 in the recent series. As a result, this series against Sri Lanka holds little significance in terms of points. The first Test begins on January 29 in Galle.

Australia Squad:
Steve Smith (captain), Usman Khawaja, Sam Constas, Marnus Labuschagne, Travis Head, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Nathan McSweeney, Beau Webster, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc, Cooper Connolly, Todd Murphy, Matt Kuhnemann, Sean Abbott.