Aus captain heads home for break

AUSTRALIA captain Steve Smith is to leave the tour of Sri Lanka and return home to rest ahead of the limited-overs series in South Africa before they host the Proteas at the start of a heavy home schedule.

Vice-captain David Warner will lead the side for the remaining three ODIs and two Twenty20 matches against Sri Lanka.

“It’s obviously going to be a big summer, with South Africa and then six tests at home, then limitedovers matches against New Zealand,” Smith said after his side lost the second one-day international against Sri Lanka by 82 runs in Colombo on Wednesday.

“It was talked about that they give me a break at some point.”

Fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile had also been ruled out of the remaining three ODIs in the Sri Lanka tour with a lower back injury and would not be replaced in the squad, Cricket Australia said. – Reuters