Steve Smith withdrawn from Sri Lanka tour, David Warner to lead Australia

Warner will have his first taste of international captaincy after Smith’s departure

Australian captain Steve Smith will play no further part in the ongoing limited-overs contests against Sri Lanka and return home in order to rejuvenate himself ahead of a busy season. Opener David Warner has been appointed stand-in skipper for the remainder of the tour.

Speaking to reporters at the end of the 2nd ODI in Colombo (RPS) which the hosts won to level the 5-match series 1-1, Smith announced the development and revealed that it was aimed at keeping him fresh in the long-term.

The 27-year old said, “I hate missing cricket, but in the long run it will do me a world of good. The schedule is very busy. I still want to take on the role in all three formats and do it to the best of my ability.”

While Australia might miss the calming influence of Smith in their middle-order, the decision also presents an opportunity for Warner to showcase his leadership skills and contribute to the team’s cause.

The hard-hitting left-hander will take up captaincy duties for the remaining three ODIs in Dambulla and Kandy which should make him the 23rd player to captain the Aussies in ODIs.

With the tour coming to a close through a 2-match T20I series in Kandy and Colombo (RPS), Warner would also become the 10th Australian skipper in the shortest format of the game.

In a statement, Chairman of Selectors Rod Marsh believed, “Steve (Smith) has a large amount of cricket coming up in the next 12 months and we wanted to find a time for him to freshen up and these last five matches provide a good opportunity to do so.”

“Regardless of the results of the first two matches our plan was always for Steve to take a break and refresh ahead of the ODI Series against South Africa next month. This is a great leadership opportunity for David (Warner), he has really embraced his role as vice-captain and we are confident he will do a great job in Steve's place.”

Smith has captained Australia in 24 ODIs since taking over from Michael Clarke in the aftermath of their World Cup victory and possesses a win-loss ratio of 1.875 with 15 wins to go alongside 8 losses. Despite being his side’s highest run-scorer in the 0-3 Test whitewash at the hands of Sri Lanka, the star batsman had recently expressed disappointment at himself.

Having led the Sunrisers Hyderabad to victory in the 2016 IPL season, Warner will want to make an immediate impact in the 50-overs format wherein Australia are still ranked number one.