(Cricket News) After the current series against Pakistan, Australia’s leading opener David Warner will step down from the game. The left-hander scored 34 runs in the first innings of the third and final Test on Day 2, and it is likely that he will bat for the last time in Australian whites on Saturday.
Warner’s departure will leave a huge void in the top order as the team management looks to replace Usman Khawaja as the team’s opening partner, though one of the best batsmen has already declared his candidacy for the position.
After Day 3 of the final Test match between Australia and Pakistan came to an end, Steve Smith, who bats at number four for the Australians, told ABC Grandstand that he would be “interested” in taking over as the new opener for Australia in place of Warner. Smith said he was “pretty keen” to take up the opening role.
“I am happy to go up the top,” Smith said. “I am pretty keen if that is what they want to do. I am sure the selectors and Ron [Andrew McDonald] and Patty [Cummins] will have a chat after this game but yeah, I am certainly interested for sure.”
It is interesting to note that Smith has never opened for Australia in Tests or ODIs. His only opening role in the shorter format was when he batted twice in the top-2 in a T20I series against India in November of last year. As a result, Smith’s name was not originally considered when the opening position was being discussed to replace Warner.
Marcus Harris, Cameron Bancroft, Matt Renshaw, and Cameron Green were among the contenders, with Green emerging as a surprise choice because selectors had stated that they wanted to include Green following Warner’s retirement. Other strategies that were considered included moving Marnus Labuschagne up to open from No. 3.
Unexpectedly, Smith showed interest in the opening role, something that had not previously been explored. While Smith has an excellent average of 61.46 with 19 Test hundreds at No. 4, his willingness to assume the opening role brings a new perspective to the selection process.
His even better Test average of 67.07 at No. 3, with eight hundreds, has not been investigated since the 2017 tours of India and Bangladesh, where he performed admirably as captain in difficult spinning conditions. Warner has also retired from ODIs, so an opening position is still open in the fifty-over format.
