Australian captain Pat Cummins is 'heavily unlikely' for the ICC Men's Champions Trophy due to his ankle issues. Steve Smith and Travis Head are in frame for the captaincy role in the showcase event.

Pat Cummins missed out the Sri Lanka Test tour due to the birth of his second child, but also he's suffering from an ankle injury. The Aussie ODI players will fly to Sri Lanka on Thursday but their head coach Andrew McDoland revealed that Cummins was not among them. It is also understood that Josh Hazlewood is also dealing with his injury and battling to get fit in the ICC Men's Champions Trophy.


"Pat Cummins hasn't been able to resume any type of bowling so he's heavily unlikely, so that would mean that we do need a captain," McDonald told SEN. "Steve Smith and Travis Head are the two that we've been having conversations with while we've been building out that Champions Trophy team along with Pat back home. They'll be the two that we look at for that leadership post.

"They're the two obvious ones. Steve has done a great job here in the [first] Test match. He's done some good work in one-day international cricket across the journey as well. So it's between those two.

"But, as I said, Patty is hugely unlikely, which is a bit of shame, and we've also got Josh Hazlewood, who is battling [to be fit] at the moment. So that medical information will land over the next couple of days and we'll be able to shore that up and let everyone know the direction."

Tanveer Sangha has been flown to Sri Lanka ahead of the second Test and McDoland said he could be drawn into the ODI series if needed. Mitchell Marsh already has been ruled out of the mega event and the Aussies might pick Beau Webster in place of the veteran all-rounder to fill the void of seam-bowling all-rounder.