Smith’s focus on Champions Trophy as injury-hit Australia gear up for Sri Lanka ODIs

The 35-year-old, who is likely to stand in as skipper for the series with Australia struggling with injuries, emphasised that Australia are focused on the Champions Trophy, but dismissed any suggestion that they are taking the upcoming clashes against Sri Lanka lightly.

“I’d be lying if I said the Champions Trophy wasn’t at the forefront of our minds, it’s a massive ICC tournament for us,” said Smith ahead of the ODI series against Sri Lanka.

“While our focus is firmly on finishing this series on a strong note, there is no denying that the Champions Trophy is looming large. We want to make sure we carry good form into that competition.”

Smith credited the training camp in the United Arab Emirates as a key factor in Australia’s success on their subcontinent tour.

The team secured a 2-0 Test series sweep against Sri Lanka, marking their first red-ball series win in the country in 14 years. Now, they aim to carry that momentum into the Champions Trophy.

“It was a hugely beneficial camp for us,we were able to prepare wickets [on] that were really challenging.

“The batters found methods to succeed in these conditions, the spinners worked on varying their pace, and the seamers fine-tuned their reverse swing, and we hope to bring all that into this series and finish well.”