Aussie Cricket Squad for Tour of Sri Lanka-by Tony Harper

Aussie Cricket Squad for Tour of Sri Lanka-by Tony Harper

- Steve Smith will lead the Australian cricket squad for the two Test tour of Sri Lanka while Pat Cummins is on paternity leave and focusing on an ankle issue which he endured through the series win over India.
- Josh Hazlewood misses out with his calf injury while Mitchell Marsh was omitted, with both focussing on the Champion’s Trophy which immediately follows the Sri Lanka tour. There was also no room for Peter Handscomb, Glenn Maxwell or Adam Zampa who had all harboured outside hopes of a call-up.

Cooper Connolly of Perth Scorchers hits a boundary. (Photo by Philip Brown/Getty Images)

The 21-year-old played four white-ball matches for Australia in the second half of last year but had limited opportunities to shine in those games. Josh Inglis and Sean Abbott are the others without Test experience in the squad.

Nathan McSweeney, who earned his Test debut at the start of the summer as an opener but was omitted after averaging just 14.4 across three matches, returns to the squad.

“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 selection chief 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.”

Australia’s squad means there are several ways which selectors can go for the first Test in Galle on January 29. There is every possibility they will stick with the same top seven that played in Sydney last week, with Usman Khawaja and Sam Konstas opening the batting.

But Travis Head has had previous success at the top, including on Australia’s most recent tour of India in 2023. If Head does move up it would open up a spot for, Inglis, McSweeney or Connolly to come into the team.

His future will likely be in the middle order, given he had never previously opened in the Sheffield Shield before his Test selection this summer.

The 25-year-old has found a home batting at No.3 for South Australia this summer – averaging 97 – but has previously batted further down.

Connolly’s selection is also notable, given the 21-year-old can act as spin-bowling allrounder and is seen as one of the brightest young players in the country.

With Cummins absent and also battling ankle soreness, Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland and Sean Abbott are the only three quicks named in the squad for Sri Lanka.

There is a possibility only one of those will play in the XI, if Australia opt to play three frontline spinners in Lyon, Kuhnemann and Murphy.

Australia’s 3-1 victory in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy means they have already qualified for the World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord’s in June.

But the Warne-Muralitharan Trophy is still on the line in the two Tests, with Australia aiming to retain their status of holding every bilateral Test trophy available to them.

Australia: Steve Smith (capt), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Nathan McSweeney, Todd Murphy, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster.

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