Australia men’s chief selector George Bailey has confirmed that Steven Smith will lead the Test team if Pat Cummins were to miss out on any Tests in the upcoming 2025 Ashes.
The much-anticipated historical five-Test series begins on November 21 in Perth. Cummins is still recovering from stress injuries in his back and is all but certain to miss the opener. He’s said to be targeting a return for the second Test (December 4-8) at the Gabba or the third (December 17-21) in Adelaide.
Since the infamous Sandpaper Gate incident in 2018, when Smith was removed from captaincy, he has led the team on an interim basis six times, overseeing five wins and one draw — in the mundane Ahmedabad Test of the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy on the flattest pitch of the series.
“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 the 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.
“Steve landed and he was at Cricket NSW (New South Wales) 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 added.
Overall, Smith has a win percentage of 57.50 in Tests, a touch behind Cummins’ 62.16. The latter was a left-field choice when he was appointed, but turned out to be an excellent leader. Similarly, Smith wasn’t trusted as one but has always been tactically astute.
Bailey gives Green confirmation
Australia’s injury concerns went up a notch this week when it was announced that Cameron Green had pulled up side soreness and would not participate in the India ODI series. However, Bailey has called the move ‘very conservative’, suggesting that the all-rounder would be fit to at least bat in the Perth Test.
“It’s a very conservative decision around getting that right, playing Shield three and four and bringing the bowling online,” Bailey said. “I don’t think he’s going to come out in the first Test and bowl 30 overs, but the expectation and plan that he’ll be able to participate as an allrounder in that first Test is still well on track.”
