According to selection chair George Bailey, Steve Smith will captain Australia in the Ashes this year if regular Test captain Pat Cummins is unable to recover from his back ailment.
Due to the injury, Cummins will not play in the white-ball series against India, which starts on Sunday with the first ODI in Perth.
Additionally, he is not expected to play in the first Ashes Test, which begins in Perth on November 21. In that case, former captain Smith will captain Australia.
“If Pat doesn’t play, Smudge (Smith) will captain. That’s business as usual for us. That formula has worked,” Bailey was quoted as saying by ‘Sydney Morning Herald’.
“Regardless of whether he’s playing, Pat’s keen to be around because if he’s not playing he’ll be rehabbing and getting ready and bowling, so he’ll be with the team anyway.
“So that information flow and working together as captain and vice-captain will remain the same,” he added.
Smith arrived back in Australia from New York this week, and the day following his arrival, he began batting at the nets at Cricket New South Wales’ headquarters.
Smith will represent NSW in the next Sheffield Shield tournaments in Sydney and Brisbane.
“Steve landed and he was at Cricket NSW the next day batting. So he’ll do his thing. We’ve tried to tailor everyone’s prep to suit them and certain obligations around that, but very comfortably he’ll be ready to go,” Bailey said.
