Steve Smith is likely to lead Australia in the two-match series against Sri Lanka. Pat Cummins, the regular Test captain, has expressed his desire to spend time with his family, and the selectors are likely to allow him to skip the series.

If Australia manage to beat India in the fifth and final Test of the series, they will qualify for the final of the World Test Championship. However, if the result doesn’t go their way, Australia will have to win two Tests in Sri Lanka to play the summit clash. If this situation arrives, Cummins’ absence could prove costly for the side.

The two red-ball games will be played from January 29 to February 6. Cummins’s wife, Becky, is expecting their second child, and he wants to be with his better half. According to Australian media, Smith will return as skipper for the tour.

Cummins also lost his mother, Maria, and he doesn’t want to stay away from the family.

“It is important to give preference to your responsibilities. I am trying to find joy in life, and my approach towards the game has changed. When you go out to play, the focus is on the game but you can’t forget the words of your parents who said to go and enjoy it. I remind myself of that every time I go on a tour,” he told the Daily Telegraph.

“But there comes a time in your life when you start missing your family,” he added.

Cummins expressed regret that he missed the early weeks of his son’s life while playing the World Cup. “I missed a big chunk last time, so I want to make sure that I am with the family this time around.”

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