Steve Smith will return for the Blues in the Sheffield Shield this week in a crucial match for the Test star who will captain Australia in the first match of the Ashes after confirmation Pat Cummins would miss the game in Perth.
Cummins has resumed running but hasn’t started bowling again, with Smith to lead the side.
This will be Smith’s first Shield game in a year and his first match in any format since he scored four runs for the Fire in the Hundred on August 28, with the Blues travelling north for the game that begins on Tuesday.
He’ll be one of several Test stars in action this week when the Blues take on Queensland, with NSW to play one more match against Victoria before the first Test.
Fellow Test veteran Nathan Lyon will also play at the Gabba, where the Blues will unleash 20-year-old rookie Ryan Hicks to make his debut behind the stumps.
Marnus Labuschagne will captain Queensland in the heavyweight clash, while Matt Renshaw has also been named as the pair fight for a spot in the Australian squad for the first Test against England.
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