Australia announced a 16-man squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, which will commence on January 29. Pat Cummins will miss the series due to paternity leave, and star batter Steve Smith will lead the Test team in Sri Lanka.

Australia’s Test series will be their last red-ball assignment before the World Test Championship (WTC) final. The team has already achieved qualification for the WTC final, which will be contested at Lord’s in June. They advanced to their second straight WTC final in the famous red-ball tournament.

Mitchell Marsh’s Test career ends as Beau Webster preferred over him
Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Marsh, veteran cricketers, have been left out of Australia’s squad. According to Cricket Australia, Hazlewood is recovering from a calf injury. Both players will concentrate on preparing for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which will be held in Pakistan and the UAE in February and March.

Glenn Maxwell’s chances of making a Test comeback have dwindled when he was not selected for the tour. Teenage opener Sam Konstas and all-rounder Beau Webster remained in the team after making excellent Test debuts against India. Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland will spearhead the pace-bowling attack.

George Bailey, Australia’s chief selector, described Sri Lanka as a hard and interesting destination to tour. He stated that the squad has versatility in its playing XI depending on the pitch. Bailey expressed excitement about the potential for rising players in the group to improve their talents.

“Sri Lanka is a challenging and exciting place to tour given the different conditions the players may experience. This squad provides several ways to structure the XI depending on what type of wickets they may encounter in each match.

“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,” Bailey stated as per CA.

Cooper Connolly receives maiden Australia Test call-up
Cooper Connolly, a 21-year-old all-rounder with no caps, was included to the squad by the selectors. Connolly, a left-arm orthodox bowler, gets his first Test call-up. He will be joined by specialist spinners Todd Murphy and Matthew Kuhnemann in the slow-bowling lineup for the Sri Lanka tour.

Sean Abbott and Josh Inglis, both uncapped, were members of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy squad. Nathan McSweeney, who lost his spot over the home summer, has been returned. McSweeney had previously played three Test matches for 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