Smith's Injury Update: Fringe Players Step Up in Key ODI Against SL

Aussies still to confirm new squad | 01:09

Steve Smith concedes he’ll be limited by an ongoing elbow issue when he captains Australia in the ODI series against Sri Lanka, starting on Wednesday, and potentially in the Champions Trophy.

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Sri Lanka’s captain Charith Asalanka (R) and his Australian counterpart Steve Smith pose with the trophy on the eve of their first one-day international (ODI) cricket match, at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo on February 11, 2025. (Photo by Ishara S. KODIKARA / AFP)Source: AFP

An Australian team weakened by injuries to key players, but coming off the back of a successful Test series win, has two games in Colombo to serve as warm-ups for the tournament in Pakistan that begins next week.

Already without regular captain Pat Cummins, Mitch Marsh, Josh Hazlewood and Marcus Stoinis after his shock retirement, Smith’s limitations in the field pose another potential issue for the Australians.

The batting star injured himself in the field during the Big Bash in January and, despite fears he’d need surgery, recovered in time to belt 272 runs in just two innings in the two Tests in Galle, with two centuries.

But he aggravated the issue on the final day of the second Test and conceded he was not 100 per cent.

“It’s all right. My throwing is probably going to be limited for a little bit,” he said ahead of Wednesday’s opening ODI.

“I threw one the other day off balance which wasn’t ideal at that stage, but it feels a lot better than it did when I injured it initially during that Big Bash game (in January).

“It won’t affect my batting, just my throwing a little bit at this stage.”

Smith's Injury Update: Fringe Players Step Up in Key ODI Against SL

Australian selectors had to add six players to the original 15-man squad named, with Jake Fraser-McGurk, despite a lean Big Bash, Test debutant Cooper Connolly, Sean Abbott, Ben Dwarshuis, Spencer Johnson and Tanveer Sangha included.

It’s likely they will all get at least one of the two matches in Sri Lanka, as some of those who played both Tests are coming off a short break.

The Sri Lankans have motivation to perform against the Australians, not just after losing the Test series, but having failed to qualify for the Champions Trophy, a tournament that Smith said was “at the front of our minds”.

“I’d be lying if Champions Trophy isn’t at the front of our minds,” he said.

“It’s a big ICC tournament for us.”

“While our focus is firmly on finishing this series on a strong note, there is no denying that the Champions Trophy is looming large. We want to make sure we carry good form into that competition.”

Both ODIs will be played as day games, a rarity in modern cricket. The floodlights in Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium are out of action as part of renovations ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted with India.

“Day games are quite different,” Smith said, adding he couldn’t remember his last ODI day match.

“But whatever the conditions, it’s going to be warm out there, and we’re looking forward to the challenge”.

Before coming to Sri Lanka, Australia held a training camp in Dubai to prepare for “challenging wickets” in Sri Lanka, said Smith.

“The batters found methods to succeed in these conditions, the spinners worked on varying their pace, and the seamers fine-tuned their reverse swing,” he said.

“We hope to bring all that into this series and finish well.” Sri Lanka did not qualify for the Champions Trophy after a dismal ninth-place finish at the World Cup in India in 2023.

“It’s disappointing, no doubt about it — but there’s nothing that we can do about it now,” Sri Lanka’s stand-in captain Charith Asalanka said.

“What’s important is that we make sure this never happens again”. Asalanka said the team wanted to focus on their successes — including beating India in 2024 in the first ODI in 27 years.

“We need to build on that momentum,” Asalanka added

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