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Steve Smith. Great batsman, poor captain

Roar Guru
29th June, 2017
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Australia's two best batsmen are out of action for the foreseeable.(AFP PHOTO / GREG WOOD)
Roar Guru
29th June, 2017
42
1932 Reads

Steve Smith is one of the best batsman in the world. Unfortunately his captaincy isn’t as good.

Smith is a poor tactician and lacks creativity. His lack of confidence in Adam Zampa is ridiculous. Zampa was the leading wicket taker in ODIs in 2016, yet Smith only gives him a bowl towards the end of the innings.

In Australia’s world Twenty20 game against India last year, Smith refused to back Zampa and only gave him two overs, it was a decision that cost Australia the match.

Australia's Adam Zampa bowls

(AAP Image/SNPA, John Cowpland)

His refusal to bowl Glenn Maxwell doesn’t make sense either, Smith has only given Maxwell eight overs all year, instead bowling Travis Head for ODIs, despite the fact that Maxwell has a superior bowling record.

However his main problem is that he lacks imagination, Smith rarely uses his part time bowlers. Instead he persists with his frontline bowlers, even when they aren’t getting results.

Smith has a number of part time bowling options he could use, himself, David Warner heck Matthew Wade might actually be able to contribute something to the team.

Compare this to David Warner, when regular opener Aaron Finch was injured for Australia’s Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka last year. Warner needed to pick a new opener. The standard options for an opening batsman would have been Shaun Marsh or Usman Khawaja.

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Warner decided to open with Glenn Maxwell, the decision paid off.

For years, Michael Clarke was lauded for his creativity and cricket nous. His field placings and tactical changes allowed Australia to compete at a time when we lacked cricketing talent in other areas.

We know that Smith is a great batsman, perhaps the best in the world right now. But he’s no captain.

David Warner should be the Australian captain, he has the creativity and imagination that Steve Smith lacks.

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