Tim Paine takes a brutal dig at Steve Smith opening the batting for Australia's Test team

Former Australian captain and wicket-keeper Tim Paine took a cryptic dig towards ex-teammate Steve Smith who now opens for the Baggy Greens in the longest format. While speaking to ESPN Australia’s “Around the Wicket” show, Paine stated that as an opposition team, he would want Smith to open, highlighting the latter’s inability against the new ball.

Tim Paine was quite clear that Steve Smith is someone who is more than capable of turning games around and can succeed at any batting position. However, when it comes to the opening slot, Smith might get easily scrutinized in front of bowling units that come in fresh and try to get a wicket on the go.

Tim Paine says he’d love to see Steve Smith open but points out the only major problem

As an opposing team, Tim Paine stated that captains would want Steve Smith to come out as an opener instead of his previous and common position at number 4. Paine feels that it will give other teams a very good chance of getting him out early. Paine claimed that he wants Smith to prove the doubters wrong but for that, the 34-year-old batter will have put in more hours in the nets.

“I would love to see him succeed as an opener, I think he can, there’s no doubt about that, he’s good enough to bat anywhere, but as an opposition player I want him at the top of the order because that gives me the best chances of getting him out.” – Tim Paine said via ESPN Australia’s Around the wicket show. 

Tim Paine, who retired from international cricket in 2021, stated that an opposing skipper can use his best bowlers with the new ball to get Steve Smith out early on. Paine then gave a throwback to the time Australia visited England for the 2019 Ashes series when Smith was next to invincible in terms of not getting out from the number 4 position. He used that reference to convey that Smith gets untouchable when he appears as a second-down batter.

“If I’m the opposition, I want him opening the batting. I want my best bowlers at their freshest with a brand-new ball. I was in that Ashes in 2019 and went to England with him in another one and when he was at his best batting at four you just felt he couldn’t get out.” – Paine concluded. 

How has Steve Smith’s new batting position panned out?

Pretty average according to his standards but Steve Smith has the capability of staging a turnaround shortly if the Aussie management backs him to continue there in the next Test series. The New South Wales man’s first implementation as an opener took place earlier this year when West Indies went back home after a glorious 1-1 Test series draw.

Smith had scores of 12 and 11* in the 1st Test at Adelaide where Australia won by 10 wickets before scoring 6 in the 2nd Test at Gabba where his second innings knock of 90* while chasing was overshadowed by Shamar Joseph’s masterclass. Then in his next Test series in New Zealand where the Pat Cummins-led side came out on top by 2-0, Steve Smith scored a combined 51 runs across 4 innings at Wellington and Christchurch.