Australia captain Pat Cummins is "heavily unlikely" to feature in the Champions Trophy due to an ongoing ankle issue, coach Andrew McDonald confirmed. Steven Smith and Travis Head are being considered as potential replacements for the captaincy.

Cummins, who missed the Test tour of Sri Lanka for the birth of his second child, has been struggling with an ankle problem that worsened after the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. With Australia’s ODI players set to fly to Sri Lanka on Thursday, McDonald revealed that Cummins has not resumed bowling, making his participation doubtful. Josh Hazlewood is also in a race against time, battling a hip issue after previous side and calf injuries. A final medical assessment will determine his availability. Meanwhile, Smith and Head remain the frontrunners for leadership, with a decision expected soon.