There Is A Process To Go Through Until Steve Smith Becomes Captain Again: Justin Langer

Australian head coach Justin Langer has said that former captain Steve Smith could still be chosen for the leadership role in the future despite the selectors opting to pick Matthew Wade to lead the home side in the second T20I at the SCG in the absence of regular skipper Aaron Finch, who was ruled out due to hip injury.

Langer said that ‘there is a process to go through until he becomes captain again’. Matthew Wade had been listed as vice-captain at Manuka Oval in the absence of regular vice-captain Pat Cummins, who has been rested for the T20I series.

Former Australian captain Mark Taylor feels that it is time for the Aussies to move on from the Newlands ball-tampering scandal and steadfast the process of once making him the captain of the National team.

“You’re not making a call forever. You’ve got these two T20s before the Test matches start, where Tim Paine will captain, I think to test the waters,” Mark Taylor told Nine’s Today program.

“To me, now we’ve got to move on [from Cape Town]. Steve Smith is still looked at by this side as a leader in that team; even Finch, the one-day-T20 captain and Tim Paine go to Steve Smith for advice at times. He’s a senior player. I’m sure he’d like another opportunity,” he added.

However, it was not a call that the selectors were willing to make just as yet but Justin Langer indicated that Steve Smith could still be considered for a leadership role in the future.

“Steve Smith has done a brilliant job in the past. There is a process to go through until he becomes captain again. We’ll go through that,” Justin Langer told Fox Sports.

“We know what a great player he is, we’ve seen that his whole career. When the English crowd gave him a standing ovation at the Oval last year, talk about earning respect, and earning back respect … [it was] one of the fondest moments of my coaching career. He’s doing all the right things to show leadership without a title at the moment.”

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