Steve Smith has ruled out any long-term captaincy ambitions after being asked to fill in for the injured Pat Cummins for the second straight year in Adelaide.
Cummins was officially ruled out of the second Test against West Indies on Wednesday morning, after failing to overcome a quad injury.
Scott Boland will take his place in the team, given the chance to add to the 18 wickets he took at the ridiculous average of 9.55 during last summer's Ashes.
The hosts' other pacemen — Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc — have pulled up fine from their heavy workload during the first Test in Perth and will both play.
It means tearaway quick Lance Morris will not debut on Thursday, with the West Australian to remain on the sideline next to Queensland's Michael Neser.
After wearing Cummins' oversized blazer to last year's toss when the quick was ruled out late as a COVID-19 close contact, Smith will have his own on hand for this year's Test.
But while that leaves him more organised, Smith made clear he had no goal of returning to the top job full-time, having lost the position in the wake of the 2018 ball-tampering scandal.
"I'm pretty chilled," Smith said.
"Whenever they want me to stand in and do a game here or there I'm more than happy to. Patty's the man so I'll help him and support him in any way that I can.
"I'm also getting older. I'm 33 — 34 next year — I'm not going to play forever. I'd say I'm just relaxed at the moment and doing what I can to help.
"If I have to stand in for a game here or there, then I'll do that."
Cummins is expected to be fit for the series opener against South Africa, starting at the Gabba on December 17.
But Smith said he would impart his own approach on the team in Cummins' one-game absence, after previously leading Australia in 35 Tests.
"I have to do it my own way, I can't try and be someone else.
"When something like this happens we have plans in place for certain batters, but ultimately what the game entails is what needs to be done.
"I'm pretty chilled, I took over the game here last year and it went pretty smoothly."
The decision to not risk Cummins' comes with Australia's busy schedule in mind.
He was unable to bowl on the final two days in Perth as Australia polished off a 164-run victory, leaving Starc and Hazlewood to get through more than 40 overs each for the Test.
Cummins completed light running duties on Tuesday evening, but with little time before Thursday's first ball it was always unlikely he would recover in time.
"I don't think he was too far away," Smith said.
"With what's coming up, with a big series against South Africa and Tests in India, there is a lot of cricket.
"From a strategic point of view … putting the load through the other quicks after they bowled some overs during the Perth Test … would have been a risky decision. So we have made the right call."
AAP
