Steve Smit and Pat Cummins seems to the two most strongest candidates for Australia’s next Test skipper. Smith has already had a term as test skipper of Australia. It was during his leadership that the infamous ball-tampering scandal happened in cape Town. Cricket Australia banned him from all forms of cricket for 12 months with the ICC slamming a 2-year ban on captaincy. Having served the ban, Smith is back in the reckoning for Test captaincy.
However, Pat Cummins’ recent good form with the ball and his WTC campaign success has made the Australian selectors and management think about him being a potential choice as well. Cummins leads the wicket-takers list in the WTC campaign with 70 wickets. Ravichandran Ashwin closely follows him on second spot with 67 scalps.
Meanwhile, Mark Waugh has picked his choice between the two. He believes ‘there are only two choices’ – Smith and all-rounder Pat Cummins.
Mark Waugh Picks Next Australian Test Skipper
“I think when Tim Paine finishes, which could be after the Ashes, I think there are only two choices: Pat Cummins and Steve Smith,” Waugh told Fox Cricket’s Road to the Ashes Podcast. Waugh, however, believes Cummins’ rapid rise in international cricket makes him ‘favourite’ to be the next Australian captain.
“That’s our field of choices and I don’t think the selectors will steer too far clear of that. There are no other candidates from what I can see unless someone jumps out of the ground. But I’d say Pat Cummins is favourite to be captain, Steve Smith vice-captain,” he said.
Meanwhile, fresh revelations by Cameron Bancroft regarding the Australian bowlers knowing about the scandal has put the Australian Cricket Board in a fix. The ACA has asked Bancroft to come forward and share any new information that he has about the scandal. The Australian cricket board has also said that they will reinvestigate the case if any new evidence comes up.
On the other hand, the upcoming Ashes series against England at home will be Tim Paine’s last as Australian Test skipper.
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