Former captain Smith, Australia's batting mainstay, was ruled out of the team's limited-overs tour of the West Indies and Bangladesh with a left elbow injury and said last week that the five-Test Ashes series is his primary focus. The 2019 Ashes series in England ended in a 2-2 draw with the Australians holding on to the coveted urn having blanked their arch-rivals 4-0 when the five-match contest was last held Down Under. Australia will meet Afghanistan in a single test in late November before the first of the Ashes series begins on Dec 8 in Brisbane. The current ban on international arrivals in Australia due to the COVID-19 pandemic might bar England's Barmy Army supporter group from being present for the highly-anticipated contest. "There's nothing better than playing in front of crowds, and the Barmy Army certainly add to it," Paine said.

Source: bd News24 July 05, 2021 11:03 UTC