Steve Smith set to be handed captaincy honour as Pat Cummins makes big call for family

Steve Smith is set to replace Pat Cummins as captain for Australia’s next Test tour with the fast-bowler made unavailable.

Steve Smith will reportedly captain the Australian team once again during the tour of Sri Lanka later this month.

Pat Cummins is set to miss the two-Test series, opting to remain at home to be with his family for the birth of his second child.

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The 31-year-old has stated his intent to Cricket Australia to remain down under and is expected to miss both games taking place on January 29 and February 6.

And while there have been calls for Travis Head to be given the honour in Cummins’ absence, according to Code Sports, Smith — who has captained his country on numerous occasions — will be given the captaincy.

Pat Cummins is expected to miss Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka to be with his family for the birth of his second child. Picture: Mark Stewart

Smith was stripped of the captaincy in 2018 over the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa and was banned from holding a leadership position for two years.

He returned to a leadership position in 2021 when he was appointed Cummins’ vice-captain for the 2021-22 Ashes Series.

He’d later take charge of four Tests when Cummins was unavailable due to Covid, notably leading the side to their first victory in India since 2017. 

And Smith will be given the honour once again when Australia heads to Sri Lanka later this month.

It is another step in the right direction for Smith, whose spot in the side came under serious threat ahead of this summer due to his form struggles.

Steve Smith has served as Pat Cummins’ vice-captain since 2021. Picture: Michael Klein

Before the Border-Gavaskar series, Smith had not made a century since June 2023, where he scored 110 runs against England at Lord’s.

He did come close to ending the drought, hitting 71 at the Oval in July 2023, while also managing an unbeaten 91 against the West Indies in Brisbane last year.

But after he failed to produce again in the opening two Tests against India, calls were mounting for him to be axed.

Yet while it took Smith 23 innings to hit a century, the New South Welshman ended his long wait with a score of 101 in Australia’s first innings at the Gabba against India.

He followed that up in Melbourne with a score of 140 in the first innings and Smith now needs just 38 runs to become the fourth Australian to score 10,000 runs.

And speaking on Thursday ahead of the fifth Test against India at the SCG, Cummins lauded Smith’s work ethic and burning desire to keep getting better and better.

 “I think it’s just that incredible drive to keep finding that one per cent improvement,” Cummins said.

Steve Smith is set to be handed the captaincy for Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka. (Photo by Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images)

“Whether he’s coming off a duck or a hundred he’s still in the nets the next day tinkering, kind of dissecting his innings – where he could have got better.

“Even if it’s really good bowling, he has such high standards he thinks he should be able to solve every problem that’s thrown at him.”

Finding form has come at the right time for Smith given his looming entry into the pantheon of Test match batting’s most elite club.

He needs just 38 runs to become the fourth Australian to score 10,000 runs.

Smith also needs just four catches to join Ricky Ponting on 196 for the most catches ever by an Australian fieldsman – an incredible achievement given he’s played 54 fewer Tests than Ponting.

Originally published as Steve Smith set to be handed captaincy honour as Pat Cummins makes big call for family