Pat Cummins could be blocked from watching as TV blackout looms for Sri Lanka Test series

Pat Cummins could be among millions of Australian cricket fans unable to watch the Test series against Sri Lanka because there's currently no broadcast deal to show it Down Under. Australia will head to Sri Lanka later this month for a two-Test series - on January 29 and February 6.

But it came to light this week that no TV network - free-to-air or subscription - has done a deal to show it to Australian audiences. Channel 7 usually only have the Test summer on free-to-air, with Fox Sports showing overseas tours.

Amazon Prime have muscled into the world of cricket broadcasting and have shown the last couple of World Cups. But none of them had secured the rights to the Sri Lanka tour as of Thursday.

A Foxtel Group spokesperson confirmed to AAP on Wednesday that "discussions are ongoing" with Sri Lanka Cricket, but no deal had yet been reached. That's despite a record-breaking summer for both Seven and Fox Cricket, with more viewers for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy than ever before.

The interest in the Test team is as high as ever after their 3-1 win over India, and it will continue throughout the Sri Lanka series. But it's unprecedented in modern times that Australia could play a Test series and it not be available to watch somewhere.

Cricket fans fume over looming TV blackout

Fox Sports did broadcast Australia's last Test series in Sri Lanka in 2022, while a live stream of the matches was available on YouTube but not accessible in Australia. Because they don't regularly broadcast Test series from Sri Lanka not involving Australia, the pay TV network don't have a long-running agreement with the country's cricket board.

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Bilateral series (involving two countries) are reliant on a broadcast deal being struck with the home board, who negotiate fees to show the games. The last Aussie men's Test tour that wasn't shown on TV was the one to Pakistan back in 1994.

The most likely scenario is the rights will be claimed by an Australian broadcaster at the 11th hour. But that is not yet locked in, despite the Aussies naming their touring squad on Thursday.

Among those affected will be Test captain Cummins, who is skipping the Sri Lanka tour so he can be at home for the birth of his second child. The skipper will be keen to keep a close eye on the series, even if he's back in Australia changing nappies and enjoying family time.

Darren Berry doesn't want Steve Smith as captain

Steve Smith will assume the captaincy in Cummins' absence, however Victorian cricket great Darren Berry would love to see Travis Head get the job. “I would make Travis Head captain, not Steve Smith,” Berry said on SEN radio.

“I love Steve Smith and he's a great Australian batsman, but after the South African episode… I just don’t think they should ever go back there, just let him play. That's always been my stance, it’s not a reactive call so for me it's Travis Head.”

Smith was stripped of the Test captaincy in 2018 when Australia were caught ball-tampering in South Africa. He was suspended for 12 months and banned from holding a leadership role for two years, but that has long expired.

Smith has captained the Test team a number of times in recent years whenever Cummins has missed a match. He currently serves as co-vice-captain with Head, who is seen as a skipper in waiting.

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