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Former captain Steve Smith will lead Australia again this month, having been named skipper in the absence of Pat Cummins, who is on paternity leave.
Smith will lead Australia in their three-match series against Sri Lanka, which takes place in January and February, having last captained the team in March 2018.
The 35-year-old had previously served a one-year ban from cricket for his involvement in a ball-tampering scandal in 2018 which took place during the third Test of a series against South Africa. format for two years.
But Smith returns as captain for this series, which includes two Tests and an ODI and begins on January 29 in Galle.
Smith will captain a side that includes Nathan McSweeney, who opened in three of the Tests in the recent series against India, and 19-year-old Sam Konstas, who initially replaced McSweeney for the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. They are joined by Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head at the top of the batting order.
21-year-old spinner Cooper Connolly earned his first Test call-up after representing the T20 and ODI sides, and he joins Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland in the bowling line-up, with Alex Carey as wicketkeeper.
As well as Cummins, notable absentees include Josh Hazlewood – who is still recovering from a calf injury – and Mitchell Marsh, who has been left out due to a series of poor performances. Beau Webster, who replaced Marsh in the final Test against India, retains his place.
Australia’s 3-1 win over India means they qualify for the World Test Championship final – they are also a starter, having beaten India in the final in 2023.
This time around, the final will see them face South Africa at Lord’s, with the match taking place from June 11-15, 2025.
