Massive twist for Scott Boland as Pat Cummins makes call to hand over Test captaincy for wife

Pat Cummins' decision to skip the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka is set to hand Scott Boland a massive opportunity that he probably wouldn't have received otherwise. Calls are growing for Boland to be part of Australia's first-choice XI moving forward - even when Josh Hazlewood is fit again.

But the tour of Sri Lanka later this month probably would have seen Boland dropped due to the spin-friendly conditions that are likely to be on offer. The Aussies are likely to play two seamers and two spinners due to the pitch conditions, and there's even a chance they'll play three spinners and a lone paceman.

It would normally see Boland left out of the XI, but Cummins' decision to stay at home with his family is set to hand the Victorian a huge reprieve. Cummins' call to skip the Sri Lanka tour was confirmed on Thursday, with wife Becky due to give birth to their second child.

The Aussie captain previously stated that he wants to be at home for his second child's birth and first few weeks of life after missing the same situation with son Albie because he was away at a World Cup. It means Steve Smith will take over the captaincy in Cummins' absence, but also has huge ramifications for Boland.

With Hazlewood also missing the tour of Sri Lanka due to recent injuries, the Aussies will likely field a bowling line-up of Boland, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon and Todd Murphy. Had Cummins been playing he would most likely take the spot of Boland in what would have been a brutal blow for the 35-year-old.

Boland took 10 wickets at the SCG as Australia secured a 3-1 series victory over India, grabbing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in 10 years. He was named player of the match and now has 56 career wickets at the staggering average of 17.66.

But his Test career has been road-blocked by the presence of Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood, who'll all finish as some of Australia's greatest bowlers. Boland has performed brilliantly across his 13 career Tests, but in many other eras he would have played dozens more.

Brett Lee makes brutal call for Aussies to drop Scott Boland

Selectors will face a tricky call when Hazlewood is fit again, and it might mean Boland misses out. After the Sri Lanka tour the Aussies will play the World Test Championship final against South Africa in June, before another overseas tour to the West Indies. Then there's the blockbuster Ashes series at home next summer.

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Debate has been raging about whether Boland has leapfrogged one of Australia's 'Big 3' fast bowlers, but according to Brett Lee he hasn't. "My gut says you have to pick those three guys (Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood) every day of the week," the Aussie legend said at the SCG last weel.

"If Hazlewood gets his fitness back and is ready to play, unfortunately you have to go with Josh Hazlewood, and when I say unfortunately, unfortunately for Scott Boland. A fit Josh Hazlewood gets into any Test line-up, in my opinion. What do you do when three doesn't go into four? It's a tough one.

"It's a bit like (Stuart) MacGill and (Shane) Warne, that's probably the best analogy I could say. Stuart MacGill took 200 Test wickets as a back-up bowler to Shane Warne. But he wasn't a back-up bowler, he was a No.1 spinner anywhere in the world. I think Boland's got that same unlucky thing, being born at the wrong time when Australian fast-bowling is so good, so strong."

One option that might be discussed for the Ashes is playing all four of Boland, Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins and leaving Nathan Lyon out. The pitches used for the recent India series all favoured pace, meaning Lyon was largely irrelevant and only took nine wickets in five games. If spin isn't going to be a major factor in the Ashes, could Australia's greatest off-spinner be left out?

Australia's Test squad for Sri Lanka tour:

1. Sam Konstas

2. Usman Khawaja

3. Marnus Labuschagne

4. Steve Smith (c)

5. Travis Head (vc)

6. Beau Webster

7. Alex Carey

8. Mitchell Starc

9. Nathan Lyon

10. Scott Boland

11. Todd Murphy

12. Matt Kuhnemann

13. Sean Abbott

14. Josh Inglis

15. Cooper Connolly

16. Nathan McSweeney