Former England captain and cricket commentator Michael Vaughan has backed Steve Smith to be Australia captain once again if there is an opportunity arises in ODI and Test cricket, saying everyone has moved on from the 2018 ball-tampering incident in South Africa.
Smith alongside then vice-captain David Warner and Cameron Bancroft served the one-year ban for their role in the ball-tampering incident in South Africa that rocked the cricketing world three years ago.
Following the incident Aaron Finch was given limited-over captaincy while Tim Paine is captaining the Test side after Smith was also banned from captaincy for the two years – the time has now also completed and even he captained Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2020.
However, Warner and Smith returned to the international arena and have been in stunning form with the bat across the formats and have once again become an integral part of the Australian cricket team.
Given Smith’s sensational form with the bat for the past one year, questions have arisen about giving the captaincy back to the former captain and Vaughan said the right-hander definitely deserves to be Australia captain once again if the opportunity arises.
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The Englishman said it is beyond his understanding to keep Smith out of captaincy because of the ball-tampering scandal despite the world cricket has moved on from the incident.
However, the commentator said Smith’s T20 form does not justify him being named as captain, but he should be definitely a captain in ODIs and Tests whenever there is an opportunity.
Vaughan said on Cricbuzz: “In T20 cricket is the one format in which Steve Smith is in the side of the format. It is not the form where he demands to be in the team all the time. But if there was ever an opportunity with Finch in the 50-over game or Tim Paine in Test cricket - and Paine will certainly lead Australia up to the next year’s Ashes.”
He further explained, “But if Paine or Finch picks an injury, I have no question in my mind that Steve Smith should be named as the captain. Keeping him out due to the Cape Town situation which happened many, many years ago - I don’t understand that. If they think that he is a better player by not being a captain and he is a better individual not to have the added responsibility, I would accept that.
But you only need to see what he did with the bat when he was the captain and he was firing on all cylinders. He is not an individual whose captaincy affects his batting. It is just about figuring out who is the better leader in the group, who is the better tactician, who could help Australia with a tactical change in the middle. I think Steve Smith probably would.”
Vaughan signed off by saying, “I think they are overthinking it - they are looking at what happened a few years ago - and thinking if everyone has moved on. Of course, everyone has moved on from the ball-tampering incident - we have all forgotten it. The game moves on really fast. If there is an opportunity arises in ODIs or Tests, then Steve Smith definitely be Australia captain.”
