Steve Smith will lead Australia in the two-Test series on the tour of Sri Lanka, with Pat Cummins on paternity leave and also recovering from an ankle injury.
Cummin’s ankle was being managed throughout the Test summer, which included the five-Test series against India that Australia won 3-1 to reclaim the Border Gavaskar Trophy.
The squad is also without fast bowler Josh Hazlewood who is recovering from a calf injury while all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has been left out. However, both the players are in the reckoning for a place in the squad for the Champions Trophy, which begins immediately after the Sri Lanka tour.
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Travis Head has been appointed Smith’s deputy in the squad that also includes Australia’s latest Test players — allrounder Beau Webster and openers Sam Konstas and Nathan McSweeney.
“Sri Lanka is a challenging and exciting place to tour given the different conditions players may be presented with. This squad provides several ways to structure the XI depending on what type of wickets we may encounter in each match,” said Cricket Australia’s chairman of selectors, George Bailey.
“We are excited about the opportunity ahead for the squad members who are at the start of their Test careers to continue to grow their games in subcontinent conditions where we have a number of important tours in coming years,” he added.
Australia Squad: 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
