Travis Head, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland to miss BBL as Steve Smith takes on David Warner

Travis Head, Scott Boland and Nathan Lyon will not play any BBL this summer as six members of the Test XI that won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the SCG prepare for white-ball cameos.

With celebrations for the triumph over India stretching into the start of this week, there is only a small window in which Test players can be considered for BBL selection before the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka.

Cricket Australia is expected to announce its squad for the two Tests in the coming days, with players flying to a training camp in the United Arab Emirates on January 18 and 19.

Incumbent Test players Alex Carey (Adelaide Strikers), Sam Konstas (Sydney Thunder) and Beau Webster (Melbourne Stars) are all available for the rest of the home-and-away season, which ends on January 19.

But spinner Lyon will miss a second consecutive BBL summer since signing with the Melbourne Renegades on a three-year deal.

Lyon’s work-rate was well down in the Border-Gavaskar series, the veteran bowling fewer overs than in any Test summer of his career.

But CA has nevertheless kept its marquee tweaker on ice as he prepares to take on a pivotal role in spin-friendly Sri Lanka.

Head, a three-format player, has also been given a rest from the Strikers’ campaign, having featured prominently on the white-ball tour of the United Kingdom before the home summer.

Sri Lanka also firms as a big tour for the South Australian, who could return to the top of the order following his success in India in 2023.

As expected, Australia’s “big three” pacemen will miss the BBL, marking a fifth consecutive tournament that has featured none of Mitch Starc (Sydney Sixers), Pat Cummins (Sydney Thunder) or Josh Hazlewood (Sixers).

Hazlewood and Starc each battled fitness concerns during the India series, but Cummins’ absence comes despite his expected withdrawal from Sri Lanka to attend the birth of his second child.

Player of the match in the decisive SCG Test against India, veteran paceman Boland (Melbourne Stars) will also miss the BBL this year after taking on a larger work-load than expected against India.

The 35-year-old played three of five Tests in the absence of the injured Hazlewood.

Likely to captain in Sri Lanka, Steve Smith is available for three Sydney Sixers games from January 11, including a grudge match against local rivals the Sydney Thunder and former Test teammate David Warner.

Smith memorably scored two centuries during a five-game cameo in the summer of 2022/23.

Brisbane Heat batters Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja are poised for only one BBL appearance, against the Hobart Hurricanes on January 16.

Mitch Marsh (Perth Scorchers), Sean Abbott (Sixers) and Jhye Richardson (Scorchers), all part of the extended squad for the fifth India Test, are free for the rest of the BBL’s regular season.