Australia fast bowler Pat Cummins has been ruled out of the T20 World Cup with a back injury, with left-armer Ben Dwarshuis named as his replacement.
Steve Smith became the 15th member of Test cricket's 10,000-run club as he and opener Usman Khawaja smashed hundreds to help Australia rack up 330/2 on the opening day of the first Test against Sri Lanka.
Cummins is also unlikely to feature in the first Ashes Test, starting November 21 in Perth, and in that scenario former skipper Smith will captain Australia.
Usman Khawaja picked as Australia announce squad for Sydney Test against England
'It does look like quite a dry surface and I think the footmarks will definitely come into play as the game wears on.'
Glenn Maxwell's hopes of reviving his Test career may be over after the all-rounder missed out on selection in Australia's much-changed squad for the Sri Lanka tour.
Expect nothing less than hostility, fire and close contests as Ben Stokes' England come armed with their Bazball philosophy to try and get the better of a depleted Australia.
Steve Smith was facing throwdowns from team-mate Marnus Labuschagne in the nets when the ball struck his right thumb.
Australia stormed to an eight-wicket victory in the second Ashes Test on Sunday to take a 2-0 series lead as England succumbed on day four to a pace blitz from unlikely hero Michael Neser.
Smith needs just 315 runs to become the fourth Australian batter after Ricky Ponting (13378), Allan Border (11174), and Steve Waugh (10927) to reach the landmark of 10,000 Test runs.
After seeing a lifeline fall his way, Smith never looked back and went on to complete his 35th Test ton.
'We could play a couple of all-rounders. Could play a spinner. Could play no spinner. We'll figure it out.'
'They're those little moments as a squad that I think have got us across the line to four wins this series.'
Having scored his 33rd ton in Brisbane, Smith equalled Sunil Gavaskar's then world record of 34 hundreds on the second day of the fourth Test at the MCG on Friday.
'It's a moment I'll never forget, having my family there.'
Cummins has been sidelined with a lumbar stress injury since Australia swept West Indies in the Caribbean in July.
South Africa has announced its home test series schedule for the 2026/27 season, featuring matches against England, Australia, and Bangladesh.
Virat Kohli and Steve Smith have indulged in fiery on field exchanges early in their careers but their relationship has evolved in recent times.
IMAGES from Day 1 of the 1st Ashes Test played in Perth on Friday.
Australia's title bid will be tested by injuries and Asian conditions at the T20 World Cup.
Images from Day 2 of the fourth Test between Australia and India at the MCG on Friday.
Cricket Australia has announced its contracted player list for 2026/27, with some notable changes including the omission of Glenn Maxwell and Sam Konstas, and the inclusion of Brendan Doggett.
MS Dhoni will play for Pune in the next edition of the Indian Premier League.
Smith's unbeaten 120 is his second successive hundred of the series while Carey made a career-best 139 not out hitting 22 fours and three sixes between them.
Australia host the next T20 World Cup in 2028 but will be eyeing a bigger prize a few months before that when cricket is reintroduced to the Olympics in LA.
If Smith is ruled out, then the left-hand batter Travis Head will lead the squad as he is the vice-captain of the side.
The five-Test away series against India next year is set to be a decisive phase in an unprecedented and taxing schedule for Pat Cummins' ageing side.
Virat Kohli and Steve Smith will be "dangerous" and "hungry" for runs in the remaining two Tests
Babar Azam's first Big Bash League stint ended early as the Pakistan star returned home before Sydney Sixers' eliminator after an underwhelming season.
Australia's stand-in captain Steve Smith hailed his side's resounding innings and 242-run victory over Sri Lanka in Galle on Saturday as "near flawless" after the visitors retained the Warne-Muralitharan Trophy.
Australian batsman Steve Smith narrowly missed reaching the 10,000-run milestone in Test cricket during the final match against India in Sydney. He acknowledges the significance of the milestone, describing it as "a different beast." Smith's pursuit of the landmark weighed heavily on his mind during the match, and he even joked about associating the number 38 (the runs he needed) with teammate Josh Hazlewood, whose jersey number is 38. Despite falling short, Smith remains hopeful of achieving the milestone on the first day of the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka.
Australia finished marginally on top at the end of a chaotic opening day of the fourth Ashes Test after an extraordinary 20 wickets fell in front of a record crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday.
'With ETPL, we hope we can bring the magic of cricket euphoria to mainland Europe.'
McDonald also said the selectors would consider a Test recall for Mitch Marsh, even if Australia's white-ball captain said last week he would be watching the Ashes series beer in hand.
IMAGES from Day 1 of the 3rd Ashes Test played in Adelaide on Wednesday
Australia dominated day two of the second Ashes Test on Friday with a punishing batting assault on a lifeless Gabba pitch as England fumbled their chances in the field.
Cameron Green and Alex Carey guided Australia to an emphatic five-wicket victory against England, to claim the series 4-1, on Day 5 of the fifth Ashes Test on Thursday.
Kevin Pietersen criticises England after their Ashes loss in Adelaide
Key players, such as pacer Mitchell Starc, are hitting form at the right time, while star batter Steve Smith is facing early setbacks in his preparations.
Smith has rarely, if ever, doubted his own talent but even he was aware that his spell at the top of the order was proving unpopular.
