Josh Inglis will be captain if Test players miss the third ODI

Josh Inglis will temporarily captain Australia in the white-ball series against Pakistan as the Test players prepare to miss the final ODI and T20I series before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Test players Pat Cummins, Mitch Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith will leave the squad after Friday’s second ODI in Adelaide, while Travis Head and Mitch Marsh are already missing due to paternity leave.

Pacemen Xavier Bartlett and Spencer Johnson will strengthen the squad for the third game, along with Josh Philippe covering the losses further up the batting order.

Also on hand is fast pacer Lance Morris, who was brought in for the first game of the series to give Hazlewood the chance of a red-ball hitout ahead of the five-Test India series.

The mass exodus will see Inglis appointed captain for the first time despite a strong start to the summer.

The wicketkeeper-batsman last managed 49 runs in the two-wicket loss to Pakistan at the MCG on Monday, with Australia collapsing and threatening to spoil the win after he was bowled deep.

Inglis made two red-ball centuries for Western Australia at the start of the Sheffield Shield season, but his T20I call-up all but confirms he will not make an unlikely Test debut in the series opener.

Inglis was seen as an immediate option for inclusion in the batting order following Cameron Green’s back injury, but he will be in the T20I camp until the week of the first Test, which begins in Perth on November 22.

Nathan McSweeney is considered the most likely candidate for the vacancy following a strong performance for Australia A against India A last week.

England-born Inglis previously captained Australia A in a tour match against West Indies in Canberra in November 2022 and becomes Australia’s 30th ODI captain.

He will be the 14th T20I captain when the three-match series against Pakistan begins in Brisbane next Thursday. The selectors are yet to announce the squad for the T20I series.

“Josh is an integral part of the ODI and T20I teams and a highly valued player on and off the field,” said chief selector George Bailey.

“Josh will have great support from players like Matt Short and Adam Zampa, as well as experienced players like Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis.”