I'm Comfortable With Where I'm At Right Now: Steve Smith 'Unfazed' By Captaincy Murmurs
Published - 10 Dec 2020, 12:24 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:38 AM
Champion Australian batsman Steve Smith has said that he is aware of the ongoing murmurs of making him the captain of the national side again but he is unfazed by it as he is in a good space currently and is focussed on performing his role as a batsman for his country.
Steve Smith was stripped of the leadership reigns of the Australian cricket team in 2018 following his involvement in the Newlands ball-tampering scandal. Following his dismissal as captain, Tim Paine was handed the leadership reins of the Test team while Aaron Finch was made the skipper of limited-over units.
Apart from the 12-month ban from playing cricket, Smith was given an additional one-year-ban from captaining Australia. But since that is now long over, murmurs have started in the Australian cricket circle of once again making him the captain.
The murmurs reached to the hilt when Steve Smith was overlooked for the role in the absence of regular skipper Aaron Finch in the second T20I of the 3-match series against India. Matthew Wade was made the captain instead and addressing the same in the media, head coach Justin Langer had said that there is a bit of process to follow before Smith is once again given the charge.
“There were discussions taking place. I think JL (Justin Langer) answered the question when asked about me and captaincy, For me, I just said I am happy to do whatever is best for the team and that’s the same going forward. I do whatever I can for the team,” Steve Smith told reporters.
“Right now, I think Tim and Finchy are doing really good jobs in both formats of the game. I’m comfortable with where I’m at right now, but as I’ve always said I will do what is best for the team.” he added.
Meanwhile, Matthew Wade, who led the Australians in the absence of Aaron Finch, has backed Steve Smith to do a ‘great job’ if and when he gets the opportunity to captain the 5-time 50-over world champions again.
”It is not me driving the field, obviously Finch is our captain and we all work together when he plays well. So Smith has a plenty of say, he has been a great captain for long time and he will do a great job if he gets an opportunity,” Wade had said.
