Australia’s Test squad for Sri Lanka announced; The career of a great all-rounder is over

Cricket Australia has announced a 16-man squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, starting on January 29. Star batsman Steve Smith will lead the Test team in Sri Lanka while regular captain Pat Cummins remains in the side. country for the birth of his second child.

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

Mitchell Marsh and Glenn Maxwell are unlikely to feature again for Australia in Tests

Veteran cricketers Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Marsh have been left out of Australia’s squad. According to Cricket Australia, Hazlewood is recovering from a calf injury. Both players will focus on preparations for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which will be played in Pakistan and the UAE between February and March.

All-rounder Glenn Maxwell’s hopes of a Test return have faded as he was not selected for the tour. Teenage opener Sam Konstas and all-rounder Beau Webster retained their places in the squad after impressive Test debuts against India. Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland will lead the bowling attack.

Cooper Connolly receives Maiden trial call-up for Sri Lanka tour

The selectors included 21-year-old all-rounder Cooper Connolly in the squad. Connolly, who plays left-arm orthodox, received his initial call-up from the Test team. He will be joined by specialist spinners Todd Murphy and Matthew Kuhnemann in the slow bowling line-up for the Sri Lanka tour.

The team also features uncapped players Sean Abbott and Josh Inglis, both in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy squad. Nathan McSweeney, who lost his place during the summer at home, has been recalled. McSweeney previously played three Test matches during 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

Sri Lanka is a challenging and exciting place to visit – George Bailey

Australia’s chief selector George Bailey said Sri Lanka is a challenging and exciting place to visit. He mentioned that the squad has flexibility in the playing eleven depending on the pitch. Bailey expressed excitement about the opportunity for the up-and-coming players in the squad to further develop their skills.

“Sri Lanka is a challenging and exciting place to spin given the different conditions the players can experience,” said George Bailey. “This team offers a number of ways to structure the XI based on the type of wickets they can find in each match.

“We are excited about the opportunity we have for team members who are at the start of their Test careers to continue to grow their games in sub-continental conditions where we have a number of important tours in the coming years “.

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