Australian captain Pat Cummins is set to miss the two-match Test series in Sri Lanka due to family commitments. With Cummins out for the series, vice-captain Steve Smith is likely to take over as captain for the tour.
Cummins’ absence was earlier confirmed by Australia head coach Andrew McDonald before the start of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Currently, Cummins is leading Australia in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy where Steve Smith is the vice-captain.
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Steve Smith returns as Test captain
According to Code Sports, Steve Smith is all set to lead Australia in the all-important Test series in Sri Lanka. Pat Cummins and his wife Becky Boston are expecting their second child, making the first unavailable for the series.
🚨 CAPTAIN STEVE SMITH 🚨
– Steven Smith is likely to captain Australia in the Test series against Sri Lanka. [CODE Sports] pic.twitter.com/Qa0BuHpos9
— Ivanovi. (@CricCrazyJohns) January 2, 2025
Smith is not the new captain, but he will lead the team after a long time. His last Test as captain was in the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India in Ahmedabad. Smith led Australia in the two Test series in Cummins’ absence. Australia won one Test under his leadership in Ranchi.
Steve Smith also captained Australia before Pat Cummins. However, he was sacked from the role after the famous sandpaper incident in 2018 during Australia’s tour of South Africa. Overall, he has a good record as Test captain leading Australia to 21 wins in 38 matches with a winning percentage of 67.74.
Pat Cummins’ absence will affect Australia
Meanwhile, Australia will miss the services of Pat Cummins, who has been an integral part of the team for the past few years. Cummins is one of the senior players in the side and has been a world-class player for the Australis, especially in Test cricket.
He is currently the second highest wicket-taker in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 with 20 wickets in four Tests at an average of 22.65. He is just behind Jasprit Bumrah on the list who was also outstanding with the ball.
Pat Cummins has a fantastic record as Test captain, leading Australia to 19 wins in 32 Tests with a win percentage of 73.07%. Led by Pat Cummins, Australia lifted the 2023 World Test title.
An important series for Australia
Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka will begin on January 29 in Galle. The tour will consist of two Tests and both matches will be played in Galle. The series is the last series for both teams to qualify for the WTC finals, which will be played in June 2025.
If Australia fail to win the fifth Test against India in Sydney, they will need to win at least one Test against Sri Lanka to qualify for the World Test Championship final. Australia is also the defending WTC champion.
