In the last two decades Australian Test cricket has been blessed with strong on-field leadership. Each time a longstanding captain has departed the scene another long term, readymade replacement has taken up the running.
The next passing of the baton will likely be different.
When Allan Border’s 93-match tenure at the helm ended in March 1994 he was replaced by Mark Taylor who took over the stewardship having played 54 Tests.
The next three full-time skippers were also battle-hardened Test veterans.
Steve Waugh took over from Taylor in his 112th Test, with Ricky Ponting appointed captain in his 76th match. The incumbent, Michael Clarke, came to the captaincy after playing 69 Tests.
The clock is certainly ticking on Clarke’s leadership. He will turn 34 in April next year, hopefully holding aloft the 50-over World Cup trophy with Australia and New Zealand co-hosting the tournament a few weeks earlier.
A veteran of 105 Tests, Clarke has in signalled in the past that his career will not linger as long as some of his former teammates.
In May 2012, a little over a year into the captaincy, he said, “I hope I can have my impact in a short space of time and then be finished.”
To date he has led his country 37 times and in the process returned them to number one in the world – albeit that ranking may change in the coming days as a result of the current Sri Lanka versus South Africa series.
Following the World Cup there is another Ashes series in England. That may well see Clarke out or perhaps he will go on for another Australian summer.
One factor that will help determine his exit from the international arena is the degenerative disc problem in his back. He was diagnosed with the complaint when 17 and has had to manage it diligently ever since.
It has flared up several times in the past two years, forcing him to miss international matches, and he has surely considered what further stress caused by the rigours of international cricket will have on the quality of his life post-retirement.
If Clarke was to abdicate Australian cricket’s throne at the end of the 2015-16 Australian summer he has the chance to lead his country in another 22 Tests.
So who then would replace him?
A few years ago Tim Paine was being groomed as a potential captain. He played all three forms of the game at international level before hand injuries cruelled his progress.
In the four Tests he played – the last at Bangalore in October 2010 – he was sound with the gloves and efficient with the bat, averaging 36 with a top-score of 92. He also played 26 ODIs, most at the top of the batting order.
In early 2011 he was elevated to the vice-captaincy of the T20 side, but by April he had played his last match for Australia, an ODI in Bangladesh.
He is still only 29, and may well force his way back into the team when Brad Haddin hangs up the gloves, most likely after the World Cup. If he does, Paine will have limited opportunities to confirm a permanent place in the side prior to Clarke’s departure.
When George Bailey debuted against England at Test level last summer it may well have been as much to do with an eye to the future with respect to the leadership as it was to the stuttering middle order.
Bailey acquired his baggy green having savoured considerable success at ODI and T20 level with both bat and as a leader. He raced to 1000 runs at ODI level in the space of just 32 innings, a mark bettered only by Hashim Amla. In 39 ODIs he has averaged 53 with a rapid-fire strike rate of 93.
When called upon to skipper the side in the absences of Clarke and Shane Watson at various times he has shown ingenuity and a cool head. Alas his maiden Test series against England was far from stellar and after playing each of the five matches that series for an average of 26 he was dropped.
At 31 his time at Test level has more than likely come and gone.
David Warner has been spoken about as a potential leader, however his off-field antics have been well documented. He does have leadership experience having captained the Sydney Thunder in the BBL. In recent times he has become a far more consistent and reliable opener, having elevated his career average to 46.5.
He has scored eight centuries in his 30 Tests but the off-field demeanours have most likely cruelled any prospect of leading his country. At 30 years of age, he is no longer a young man and given some of his indiscretions have occurred in the last 12 months his copybook may has likely been blotted too often.
That leaves Steve Smith of those who have been in the side in recent years. It has taken the pugnacious right-hander nearly four years to play his 20 Tests.
He debuted as a Test player at 21 at Lord’s in mid-2010. Six months later, having played five matches, he was dropped. His exile lasted nearly two-and-a-half years but since returning to the fold in India early last year his performances with the bat have steadily improved.
He made two centuries in last summer’s Ashes series, both coming when the side was in a precarious position. His last series against the Proteas in South Africa earlier in the year produced a three-Test average of 67 against a quality attack.
Like Warner, Smith has led his BBL side, the Sydney Sixers, and has also skippered New South Wales at one-day and Shield level. He is only 25 and has yet to put a foot wrong off the field, with his image untarnished by any unsavoury episodes.
Of the players currently in the Test team, or those who have been in the side of late and since been omitted, Smith seems to be the primary candidate to assume Clarke’s mantle.
It would be unlikely that a player who debuts in the time between now and when Clarke pulls stumps would be considered ready to assume the captaincy.
Should Smith get the job he will have likely played around 40 Tests before doing so. It will be a considerable test of character but to date – on and off the field – he has shown he is up to it.
Shouts Chen
Guest
Brad Hodge, given that he will turn 40 years of age, has retired Test Cricket several years ago. I would think that either Sam Whiteman might replace Michael Clarke for the test and ODIs.
Clavers
Guest
In brief, yes. In fact, if the vacancy comes up soon and Smith is injured or otherwise not available we would have a bit of a dilemma. The other candidates would include Watson (already given up Vice), Warner (off-field discipline issues, putting his capacity to lead into question), Hughes (not even in the team right now, though he should be), Rogers and Haddin (either could be quite good but due to retire in about 5 minutes). None of the bowlers can be guaranteed to play every game. That leaves one other possibility; selecting a Shield veteran such as White to lay as captain. While some of the above options might work, and might even work very well, Smith is a better option than any of them.
Tom from Perth
Guest
Yeah, agreed Chris. I think he would be a very handy #3 in a couple of years and I hope he continues to bat there for NSW.
Arto
Guest
@ Nudge: As The Bush states, Clarke might well retire from ODIs after the WC so there's 1 spot available and Smith is arguably after Clarke the best player of spin Aus has so I'd select him for added balance to the side - yes, Warner, Finch & Watson sound like a fantastic Top 3, but all of them have atendency to combust early in the innings (especially against quality spin bowling) and really do need the harder & faster Aus pitches to really excel. Additionally, whilst Maxwell is in a great patch of form recently, he's not really the kind of player who can turn around a bad-start (all the more important when playing the Top 3 you've selected above) - Smith has proven he has that ability on multiple occasions in both short- & long-formats of the game over a number of seasons now... Having said all that, I do agree that the above Top 8 is a very strong unit on paper (in Aus) and has the potential & ability to win the WC in the coming summer months...
Danno1
Guest
perhaps Brad Hodge should be captain eh? He's the one every Vic whinges about
Statler and Waldorf
Roar Guru
only until his next birthday :)
Paul Potter
Guest
Fair points, though I can't actually see either of them having to captain too often as Smith doesn't get to seem injured all that often. Many of Lyon's problems seem to have stemmed in the past from him allowing himself to be under appreciated. Thankfully that time is over. I don't judge my opinion of Warner the cricketer based on what mistakes he has made off it - Ponting is a very good example. Warner and Lyon both play for NSW so they won't be captaining their state side when they are not playing internationals. Haddin and Rogers, having captained NSW and Middlesex, will be useful stop gaps in the short-term.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Of course, all this requires Smith to continue building on his form and really cementing his spot in the side. But the way that he just matured so much in such a short time he just really seems to be on the up and up. There is always the possibility of someone doing a Greame Smith, coming into the side and just being such a natural leader even as a new player that even as such a young player they are still a good choice as captain, but that generally also happens because there are no obvious leadership options among the more senior players. And if Steve Smith is an entrenched member of the side when Clarke retires, then he is the obvious choice as he does have great leadership qualities.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
And so they should be, he's the stand-out keeper in Australia at the moment. I said at the start of the summer that if Haddin needed to be replaced I thought they should be looking at skipping the Payne, Wade, Hartley generation, and be looking at guys like Whiteman and Carters instead. As it is, Carters had a great season with the bat, but was only keeper in one shield game I think, while Whiteman has had a great season with both bat and gloves and is the stand-out to be the next keeper for Australia. And after having a great summer in Australia, I thought Haddin's form, with bat and gloves, started to drop away in South Africa and then was pretty poor in the T20 WC. Whiteman may get his chance sooner rather than later.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
The change in Smith over that period of time was actually immense. With each test you got the impression that he was more and more starting to really believe in himself and feel like he belonged there, and by the end of the South Africa tour he was a player who walked out to bat with a real confidence and just took charge. In the Shield final he came out to bat at #3 and just seemed to dominate when he walked to the crease. Prior to this season he'd always struck me as someone who might be a decent #6 batsman, but the way he's going he could easily turn into Australia's next #3 and do it extremely well!
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
I think most bowlers, and Lyon more than many, need to have the captain there as someone who can help with setting plans and giving guidance and the like. If he ever had to take the captaincy I don't think it would be good for him. So I'd suggest not. I wouldn't rule Davey out of it based in his indiscretions yet. He wouldn't be the first player to get in a fair bit of trouble and then get it together after meeting the right woman. Just look at Ponting. However, I do get the impression that he's not that bright. I have believed for a few years that he can go on to be one of Australia's great batsmen, but captaincy is another matter.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
The transformation in Smith since his return to the test team has been quite incredible. He first came into the test team largely because he was a decent player of spin, but you always wondered about him. However, by the time this summer was over he just felt like that real rock of a player that just made you feel comfortable with him walking out to bat. He batted at 3 for NSW on return from South Africa, and it seemed that when he came to the crease he just took control. It's like he now walks out to the crease completely comfortable with himself, knowing he belongs there.
twit
Guest
Warner is only 27 mate
Nick Richardson
Roar Guru
Smith looked excellent in South Africa, If Warner hadn't of gone crazy he would have been our best batsman. I was sceptical going into the South Africa tour that his technique would fall apart, but he straight away proved my concerns wrong. After losing early wickets he comes in and makes a terrific hundred in tricky circumstances. It's only up from here. Looking forward to the Pakistan tour as Smith is a terrific player of spin and might carve them up.
The Bush
Roar Guru
He should give up Tests, as he is and always has been a wonderful limited overs cricketer, whatever his faults at Test level...
Broken-hearted Toy
Guest
CA are lining up Whiteman to be the next test keeper, Paine isn't in the picture so much now.
SteveOL
Roar Pro
Smith clearly next skipper for mine.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
Bailey comes to mind. Two plus fifty scores in the past two years.
DB
Guest
-- Comment from The Roar's iPhone app.
DB
Guest
Dave Warner was 2 years below me in underage cricket and I'm 29. He's certainly not 30! -- Comment from The Roar's iPhone app.