Cricket Australia (CA) Chairman Earl Eddings has on Thursday, 8th August, cleared the air about the prospect of Steve Smith being reinstalled as captain of the side after his leadership ban ends next year by saying that is not something on the board agenda at the moment.
Smith was handed 12 months ban from playing for Australia and an additional one-year ban from captaining the side after his involvement in the infamous ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town last year.
The stylish right-hander returned to the international scene in style – first in World Cup 2019 after completing the ban and now he is making headlines for his stunning show in the ongoing Ashes 2019 in England, which sparked the debate on whether Smith should be reinstalled as captain of the side.
However, Eddings has dismissed the opinion of Smith leading the side once his leadership ban comes to an end next year by saying the board is not thinking about the same and they are just happy that David Warner, Cameron Bancroft, and former skipper returned to the side and are doing their job well.
As per reports in Sydney Morning Herald, Eddings stated: “It’s not even on our radar. We’ve got a captain doing a great job. Steve has just come back into the side. We haven’t even thought about it or mentioned it at board meetings. We’re just glad that (Smith, Warner, and Bancroft) are back.”
He signed off by saying, “That’s been a focus, getting the boys back into the team. And getting them playing the right way, which they are. So that’s not our focus. We’re just happy they’re doing well and happy to get them back in the side. Tim is captaining really well. It’s not on the board agenda.”
Noteworthy, Tim Paine was handed over the Test captaincy, while Pat Cummins and Travis Head are serving as Test vice-captains after Smith and Warner were stripped off the roles last year.
(With Sydney Morning Herald Inputs)
