Former England skipper Michael Vaughan believes that everyone has moved on from the Cape Town Test match incident and that it is time for the Australian Cricket Board to assign Steve Smith as ODI and Test Captain. Smith along with David Warner and Cameron Bancroft have served their sentences slammed on them by the ICC and Vaughan believes that it is time now to move forward and hand Smith the captaincy.
Talking to Cricbuzz, Vaughan spoke about Smith given back captaincy responsibilities in ODI and Test cricket.
“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. But if Paine or Finch picks an injury, I have no question in my mind that Steve Smith should be named as the captain” said Vaughan.
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Michael Vaughan Wants Steve Smith Back As Captain
He further said that since Steve Smith’s form in T20Is is not the same as it is in ODIs or Test cricket, Smith can continue as a player in the shortest format of the game.
“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,” Vaughan said on Cricbuzz.
The England skipper further said that captaincy does not affect Smith’s batting and that the team management should pick the best man to lead the team.
“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 concluded by saying that not appointing Smith back as captain due to the Cape Town Test match incident is something beyond his understanding.
“Keeping him out due to the Cape Town situation which happened many, many years ago – I don’t understand that” concluded Michael Vaughan.
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