- Candidates are lining up to replace the retired David Warner at Test level
- Cameron Bancroft and Cameron Green have the strongest claims
- Steve Smith is also looming as a left-field option, has expressed his interest
Leading cricket commentator Ian Smith has cast doubt over whether Steve Smith is the best option to replace David Warner as Australia’s opening batsman following his retirement from the Test arena.
Speaking on Fox Cricket – Smith – who played 63 Tests for New Zealand in his playing days, felt ‘Smudge’ should stay where he is.
‘Say he fails four or five times in a row, what then? Do you drop him back to 4?’ Smith asked of his namesake on Saturday.
Former England skipper Michael Vaughan believes it could offer a new lease of life for the one-time Australian captain ahead of the two-Test series against the West Indies starting on January 17.
‘If someone [of Smith’s class] sticks their hand up, I think Australia have to listen,’ he said. ‘Maybe Steve Smith needs a new challenge.’
Leading cricket commentator Ian Smith has cast doubt over whether Steve Smith (pictured) is the best option to replace David Warner as Australia’s opening batsman
Cameron Bancroft has been a prolific run scorer for Western Australia the past two seasons in the Sheffield Shield
All-rounder Cameron Green is said to have plenty of support as a straight swap for Warner ahead of the two-Test series against the West Indies
It comes after Smith, 34, recently told ABC Grandstand he was keen to face the new ball alongside Usman Khawaja in red ball cricket.
‘I’m actually happy to go up the top,’ he said. ‘I’m pretty keen if that’s what they want to do.
‘I’m sure the selectors and Ron [Andrew McDonald] and Patty [Cummins] will have a chat about it, but yeah, I’m certainly interested for sure.’
It is understood Smith is seeking a fresh challenge in a bid to reinvigorate himself after a relatively quiet year by his standards in 2023.
While Smith still averaged 42.22 with three centuries and plundered nearly a thousand runs, it was his lowest calendar year average since 2014 – with the exception of 2018 and 2020 – where he played very few Tests due to his ban following ‘Sandpapergate’ in Cape Town and then the Covid-19 pandemic.
All-rounder Cameron Green plus openers Cameron Bancroft, Marcus Harris and Matthew Renshaw are the other leading candidates to replace Warner.
Australian cricket great Ricky Ponting wants to see a traditional opener handed an opportunity later this month – and has genuine reservations over Green at the crease from the first over.
‘No chance,’ he said bluntly. ‘It is time to go back and find Australia’s next best opening batsman with the India Test series and Ashes in mind.’
