Steve Smith is in line for a comeback as Australia’s Test skipper and former Australian skipper Ian Chappell has shared his reservations. Smith was asked to step dow from captaincy following the ball-tampering scandal. He along with David Warner and Cameron Bancroft served their punishment and is now back with the Australian national team. Meanwhile, With Tim Paine saying that the upcoming Ashes series will be his last as Australia’s Test skipper reports of Smith’s return potential return to captaincy is making the rounds in Australian media.
Last week, Paine had said that he might step down from the responsibility to lead the Australian side if his team manages to defeat England. Not only this, but the current skipper had also backed former leader Steve Smith to succeed him.
“If I feel like the time is right and we’ve beaten the Poms 5-0, what a way to go out. Obviously (in) South Africa events happened, and he’s not doing it anymore. But yeah, I would support him getting that job again,” Paine had said as quoted by Cricket.com.au.
Meanwhile, Ian Chappell has clarified his stance regarding the same. He said that choosing Steve Smith as the captain will mean going a step backwards, while the vision should be to take Australian cricket forward.
Ian Chappell Picks Pat Cummins Over Steve Smith As Australia’s Test Skipper
“I think it’s time to move on. To me, if you go back to Smith, you’re going backwards. It’s time to look ahead, not in the rear-vision mirror,” Chappell told Wide World of Sports.
Chappell threw his weight behind Pat Cummins as the next Australian Test skipper even if he knew about the ball-tampering scandal.
“If people start jumping up and down about Pat Cummins captaining Australia if he knew, well, the answer is pretty clear because it falls back on Smith. He’s (Steve Smith) the bloke who should have stopped it. The captain’s got the overall say and power to stop it, and he didn’t. I don’t think it should count against Cummins, even if they decide the bowlers did know. Smith is the bloke who should have made sure the whole thing never started,” Chappell said.
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