Five NSW Blues players have been named by the National Selection Panel (NSP) in a 16-player men’s squad for the Qantas Tour of Sri Lanka.
Australia plays two Test matches against Sri Lanka in Galle, starting on January 29 and February 6.
Steve Smith will lead the squad to Sri Lanka while Pat Cummins is on paternity leave and focusing on an ankle issue which was managed through the Test summer.
Smith will be joined by NSW teammates Sean Abbott, Sam Konstas, Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc.
Abbott is the only one of the quintet yet to pull on the Baggy Green after 19-year-old Konstas made his Test debut during this summer’s Border-Gavaskar series.
Fellow Blue Josh Hazlewood is continuing his recovery from a calf injury and focussing on the Champion’s Trophy which immediately follows the Sri Lanka tour.
Australia:
Steve Smith (NSW/Sutherland Cricket Club) (c)
Sean Abbott (NSW/Parramatta District Cricket Club)
Scott Boland (VIC/Frankston Peninsula Cricket Club)
Alex Carey (SA/Glenelg Cricket Club)
Cooper Connolly (WA/Scarborough Cricket Club)
Travis Head (SA/Tea Tree Gully Cricket Club) (vc)
Josh Inglis (WA/Joondalup Cricket Club)
Usman Khawaja (QLD/Valley District Cricket Club)
Sam Konstas (NSW/Sutherland District Cricket Club)
Matt Kuhnemann (TAS/Clarence Cricket Club)
Marnus Labuschagne (QLD/Redlands Cricket Club)
Nathan Lyon (NSW/Northern District Cricket Club)
Nathan McSweeney (SA/Glenelg Cricket Club)
Todd Murphy (VIC/St Kilda Cricket Club)
Mitchell Starc (NSW/Manly Warringah Cricket Club)
Beau Webster (TAS/Kingborough Cricket Club)