Steve Smith will captain Australia once again with the 35-year-old set to take the reins for the upcoming Test tour of Sri Lanka.

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Pat Cummins has hinted at missing the entire, or at least part of, the two-Test match series due to the birth of his second child, and Code Sports reported that Smith will step up to the captaincy in Cummins’ absence, just as he did for the final two Tests of the 2023 tour of India.

Smith and Travis Head are both vice-captains of the Australian team, but the powers at be have reportedly opted to handle the responsibility to the more senior player of the middle order pair.

If Australia win the final Test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy in Sydney, they will guarantee their place in the World Test Championship Final against South Africa at Lords starting June 11.

But a draw or an Indian victory at the SCG will make the Sri Lankan Tour critical to their chances of becoming the first side to go back-to-back in the showpiece event after lifting the ICC mace in 2023.

Cummins, the Johnny Mullagh Medallist for his player of the match performance in the Boxing Day Test, went home midway through that series to spend time with his mother before her passing from cancer.

Ahead of the Pink Test, Cummins told The Daily Telegraph that his mother’s death helped shape his decision to put family first.

“In some ways it really makes you focus in on what I think is important,” Cummins said. “It’s family, it’s enjoyment, it’s trying to find joy in life and I think that’s been a slight shift in the way I’ve approached playing and touring and it’s just given me that real decluttering mindset.

“When you go out you just want to play well and of course, there’s going to be pressure, but you don’t want to forget that what mum and dad used to say to us every time we went and played as kids, was to go and enjoy it. Try your best, but make sure you enjoy it. I try and remind myself of that every time I go on a tour or play.

“Whatever you choose to do there’s always an opportunity cost. And I think in the last few years that’s probably rung true. That is when you go away on a tour you are missing out on maybe family time or moments. That’s a deliberate choice so make sure you are making the most of that tour or that game if that makes sense.”

In the past, Cummins has spoken of the impact of being absent for some of the early parts of his son Albie’s life due to being away at the World Cup, saying “I missed a big chunk last time. I want to spend more time at home for this initial period.”

Smith was sensationally stripped of the captaincy and banded for 12 months following Australia’s sandpaper scandal against South Africa in Cape Town in 2018, but the prolific run-scorer, who is closing in on 10,000 Test runs, has led his country on four occasions since.

He also stepped-in for Cummins in consecutive Adelaide Oval pink-ball Tests in 2021 and 2022 as the fast bowler missed the clashes with England and the West Indies due to be a Covid-19 close contact and a quad strain respectively.

Australia has won three and drawn one of the four Tests Smith has filled the boots of Cummins for, while overall Smith has captained 38 Tests for 21 victories.

Smith has also led in eight ODIs in the past two years, including during Australia’s victory in the decider of their five-match series in England as Mitch Marsh missed through soreness and Cummins skipped the tour to manage his workload ahead of the home summer.