Steve Smith's cognitive function and captaincy skills will be put to the test as part of a 19-strong Australian contingent taking part in the Indian Premier League.
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Smith, who missed all three recent ODIs against England after a helmet blow in the nets, and other members of Australia's limited-overs squad have arrived in Dubai for the Twenty20 extravaganza.
Smith, Pat Cummins and David Warner were photographed in full-body personal protective equipment (PPE) after touching down, a jarring contrast to the normal chaotic scenes at the tournament renowned for its glitz and glamour.
IPL players have been required to spend six days in hotel quarantine, but franchises expect it will be a mere 36 hours for Australians coming from their biosecurity bubble in Manchester.
Smith, who is captaining Rajasthan Royals, will be assessed in coming days by team doctor Rob Young.
Cricket Australia's chief medico Alex Kountouris is liaising with Young regarding Smith's condition.
Andrew McDonald, Australia's senior assistant coach who is widely tipped to be Justin Langer's successor, is coaching the Royals and will also keep a close eye on Smith.
Smith's leadership ban, imposed by CA in the aftermath of the ball-tampering saga, expired earlier this year.
There is still no indication Smith will ever be asked to captain his country again.
Coming weeks may help the talented batsman decide whether he covets a return to the high-pressure job in international cricket.
"He does enjoy captaining, he loves being engaged in the game. I am really comfortable we have the right man for the job there and he is really enthusiastic about that," McDonald told The Age.
"He is knowledgeable about the game and he will pick up the flow of captaincy pretty quickly again."
Warner is captaining Sunrisers Hyderabad, while Kolkata Knight Riders bought Cummins for $A3.16 million to make him the highest-paid foreigner in IPL history.
The 13th edition of the IPL, which will be played at empty grounds in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, starts this weekend with a rematch of last year's final between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings.
Super Kings chief executive Kasi Viswanathan expects Josh Hazlewood, who excelled in the recent ODI series, will be available for the tournament opener.
The T20 league ordinarily runs during Australian players' leave period in April-May but it was delayed because of COVID-19, meaning it will now overlap with the start of the Sheffield Shield season.
CA is yet to resolve where Australians will quarantine upon their return home, nor whether there will be scope for players to leave once their respective franchises bow out of the competition.
The IPL will give Langer's team a golden chance to do some opposition analysis ahead of a home summer featuring six limited-overs matches and four Tests against India.
AUSTRALIANS IN THE IPL
Chennai Super Kings: Shane Watson, Josh Hazlewood
Delhi Capitals: Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey, Daniel Sams.
Kings XI Punjab: Glenn Maxwell
Kolkata Knight Riders: Pat Cummins, Chris Green
Mumbai Indians: Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Lynn, James Pattinson
Rajasthan Royals: Steve Smith, AJ Tye
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Aaron Finch, Josh Philippe, Adam Zampa
Sunrisers Hyderabad: David Warner, Mitch Marsh, Billy Stanlake.
Australian Associated Press
