Cricket Australia has announced the 16-man squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, scheduled to begin on January 29. Star batsman Steve Smith will lead the Test team in Sri Lanka while regular captain Pat Cummins has stayed in the country for the birth of his second child.
The Australian Test series will be their last red-ball assignment before the World Test Championship (WTC) final. The team has already secured qualification for the WTC finals, which are due to be held at Lord’s in June. They made it to their second consecutive WTC final at the prestigious red-ball tournament.
Mitchell Marsh and Glenn Maxwell are unlikely to feature again for Australia in Tests
Veteran cricketers Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Marsh have been left out of the Australian squad. According to Cricket Australia, Hazlewood is recovering from a calf injury. Both players will focus on preparations for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which will be played in Pakistan and UAE in February and March.
All-rounder Glenn Maxwell’s hopes of a Test return have dimmed as he was not selected for the tour. Teenage debutant Sam Konstas and all-rounder Beau Webster have retained their places in the squad after impressive Test debuts against India. Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland will spearhead the bowling attack.
Cooper Connolly gets first Test call-up for Sri Lanka tour
The selectors included uncapped 21-year-old all-rounder Cooper Connolly in the squad. Connolly, who bowls a left-handed orthodox bowler, received his first call-up from the Test team. He will be with specialist spinners Todd Murphy and Matthew Kuhnemann in the slow bowling line-up for the tour of Sri Lanka.
The squad also includes uncapped players Sean Abbott and Josh Inglis, both of whom were part of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy squad. Nathan McSweeney, who lost his place during the domestic summer, has been recalled. McSweeney had previously played three Test matches during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Australia squad for Sri Lanka Tests: Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Travis Head (vc), Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Nathan McSweeney, Todd Murphy, Mitchell Starc , Beau Webster
Sri Lanka is a challenging and exciting place to visit – George Bailey
Australia head coach George Bailey said Sri Lanka is a challenging and exciting venue to tour. He mentioned that the team has flexibility in playing XI based on the pitch. Bailey expressed enthusiasm for the opportunity for new players on the team to further develop their skills.
“Sri Lanka is a challenging and exciting place to tour given the variety of conditions the players can experience,” said George Bailey. “This team offers several ways to structure the XI depending on the type of wickets they may face in each game.
“We are excited about the opportunity ahead for squad members who are early in their Test careers to continue to develop their games in sub-continental conditions where we have a number of important tours in the coming years.”
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