Steve Smith brutally rejected as Test Captain replacement for Pat Cummins

Steve Smith and Travis Head are vying to take Pat Cummins‘ place as Australia’s captain during the January–February 2025 tour of Sri Lanka. Australia will visit the Island Nation for two Test matches and one ODI. Regular captain Cummins may miss the series since he has stated that he wants to spend time with his wife, Becky, who is expecting their second child.

As the current Vice-Captain of the Australian Test team and a former national leader, Smith is the front-runner to replace Cummins. But according to a survey of 7,000 Yahoo Sport Australia readers, Head is the preferred choice among supporters. Head received 52% of the vote at the time of publication, while Smith received 35%. Mitchell Marsh and teammate Alex Carey each received 3% of the vote, while 7% of readers selected “someone else.”

In 2024, Travis Head has excelled in a variety of formats. With 409 runs from five innings at 81.80, he is the top scorer in the current Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT 2024–25). The southpaw has plenty of time remaining in the international circuit and will turn 31 on December 29. The majority of the fans chose for him to be Cummins’ deputy for these reasons, among others.

Smith, meanwhile, has had a difficult season in the Test arena, averaging 28.08 in eight games. His future in the red-ball circuit is unknown, as he will turn 36 in June of next year. Head will ostensibly be the next vice captain when Smith hangs up his boots. If Cummins chooses to take paternity leave, it could be a good idea to offer Head a chance to skipper the Sri Lanka trip if the right-handed batsman has plans to retire shortly.

Steve Smith lost his captaincy as a result of the Sandpaper Gate incident.

It is noteworthy that Steve Smith was the Test captain until 2018, when the Sandpaper Gate affair in South Africa led to his notorious 12-month ban and removal from the position. Since the two-year restriction from holding a leadership position was removed, he has often filled in for Cummins.