Australia’s captain Steve Smith is expected to be fit for the Ashes despite returning home from the tour of India with a shoulder problem. Smith will miss three Twenty20s on the sub-continent after falling awkwardly on his right shoulder during the recent fifth one-day international in Nagpur. “He has had an MRI scan which has excluded serious injury, but we believe the best course of action is for him to not continue to aggravate his shoulder and allow it to recover,” said Australia’s team doctor Richard Saw. “He will have further investigation upon his return to Australia but we remain confident he will be available for the start of the Sheffield Shield season.”Marcus Stoinis will replace Smith in the T20 squad, with David Warner captaining the side. The first Ashes Test begins in Brisbane on 23 November.

Source: The Guardian October 07, 2017 09:56 UTC