There now appears to be a case brewing for appointing a new captain to replace Steve Smith, given Australia are staring down the barrel of a humiliating defeat.
We’re just four days into the international season, and Australia are playing against a South African team weakened not only by the absence of the world’s best batsman, AB de Villiers, but of its leading bowler, Dale Steyn.
Smith will lead the team through this series, then against the number two side, Pakistan, and in a daunting away series in India. That’s ten Tests against arguably the game’s toughest opponents. There’s the possibility Australia will struggle to win a match in that lot.
A wipeout, or near enough to it, would leave Smith’s position as skipper untenable. But there’s no way he can be left out of the team in the foreseeable future, with his remarkable average of 58.55 after 44 Tests clear testimony to his great batting skills.
Yet the decision to send him home during the Sri Lanka tour gave notice that the captaincy is not necessarily a given right until he retires from the game.
So who could take over the leadership?
David Warner is the vice-captain and the obvious choice, but there’s a crucial query – what impact would taking over the leadership have on his batting?
I think there’s only one other option, all-rounder Moises Henriques, who has led the NSW Blues with aplomb over the past couple of seasons. But Henriques would need to come into the Test side very soon and state his case with big runs – and a few wickets – as replacement for Mitchell Marsh over the rest of the season.
Who else would come into calculations Roarers?
MAYRON
Guest
The difference is that Yallop was a great, natural captain; sadly Smith is not!!
MAYRON
Guest
In fairness to Smith, Australia's selectors have not helped him with their long-standing motto, "Never change a losing side". Voges is well past it, and Starc (although a great short form player) has never been consistent enough at test level. What I would do is, keep the top 4 unchanged, bring in Callum Ferguson at No 5, Glen Maxwell at 6; Nevill stays at 7, James Pattison at 8, Hazlewood 9, Mitchell Marsh 10 (till Siddle is available) and Lyon at 11. These few changes make a greatly superior side, and might take a lot of pressure off Smith!
Cadfael
Roar Guru
I have found Smith's captaincy to have been very conservative. I don;t think captaincy has affected his batting but I don't think he is a good captain. To replace him as captain and for him to stay in the team does have a precedent with Yallopp captain then he had the captaincy taken off him and still played for Australia for another four years. A replacement is the problem. It comes down to who in the team can do the job and this in turn comes down to those players guaranteed to be in the side. These players being Warner, Smith, Nevill, Starc and maybe Khawaja. Out of those CA has shown little in picking a bowler or keeper as captain. Warner has captained the ODI side well and could do the job as test captain. I can't see the selectors bringing in someone new to captain the side.
Slowbike
Guest
Have you ever read Machiavelli's 'The Prince'?
qwetzen
Guest
I look forward to Jarijari being demoted from "Rookie" to "Reader". It can't be far away.
James
Guest
Warner is the obvious choice as captain. Smith is under the pump and is about wither away into oblivion. He lost his cool with the slightest of sledges from Edgar. He keeps whinging in the media. He denies his tacts were all wrong. He has captained the team to defeats in 2 consecutive series. He is the first captain to lead a loss in a season opener in 28 years. He is parochial about his views. He likes Voges, Burns, Henriques and some other players of that background and will support them despite their underperformance.
danno
Guest
Doesn't matter how good a captain you are if you don't have the cattle. As long as you are respected and can gel the team unlike Clarke, Smith should be retained for the long term. V Richards wasn't the greatest captain but had an incredible side. Get the right cattle and the captain is made to look good.
Slowbike
Guest
Concur - re Warner - I dont see him as a tactician or a comprehensive leader ... Young Steve Smith has to leave the top job, its just not working out. Replacement? - Any chance Clarke can do a Bobby Simpson?
Whiteline
Guest
Warner? Please....
JoM
Guest
You are right, but I hate seeing his petulant attitude out on the field and him having a go at his team because they made a mistake when he is far from perfect. Even in media conferences, he usually singles 1-2 out and usually bowlers when it is the batsmen that yet again let the team down
bigbaz
Guest
Got to be click bait
doogs
Guest
Warner would go well. He really is a much more relaxed player than say 3 years ago. I would wonder how it might effect his batting. Maybe worth a shot. That being said, I would love Smith to turn it around. Good luck to him
Matth
Guest
Gentleman George Bailey is the man. And hit a great hundred today.
Broken-hearted Toy
Guest
Moises Henriques? He'd have to bowl... and bat... and while trying to establish himself in the team without a particularly good record in first class cricket, skipper the national side. Might as well keep Mitch Marsh in and let him skipper if such low standards are ok. He skippered the Aussie World Cup winning U19 side after all. It has to be Warner. He might be a bit of a numbskull but at least his body language won't be so awful and he'll be more positive an influence.
jamesb
Guest
If you don't have the cattle or depth in Australia cricket, then it will always be difficult for any captain that's in charge.
Tanmoy kar
Guest
Warner could be the likely Captain in the next Series against Pakistan.
JohnB
Guest
I think questions about Smith's captaincy are not ridiculous, but it's very hard to see him being replaced. If nothing else, the first and most basic qualification to be captain is that you have to be sure of your spot in the side into the medium term - and that essentially puts those being picked consistently now as the prime candidates. In the current side that boils down to at most himself, Warner, Khawaja, Voges, Nevill, Starc and Hazlewood, with the 2 bowlers pretty much automatically disqualified, the keeper very unlikely and questions starting to get louder about Voges' spot. That's pretty slim pickings alternatives wise. If you're not in the team now that leaves you with a very weak claim to the captaincy since you can't be sure of your spot going forward (and you'll always know that as soon as you fail to perform as a batsman or bowler the knives will come out). If the selectors thought we were in desperate times and that desperate measures were called for so as to justify overturning the long established policy of picking the best team first rather than picking the best captain first, Cameron White would actually be the more obvious choice, with George Bailey another possibility - each way ahead of Henriques in my view. Incidentally, picking a "specialist" captain would probably only be delaying a decision on a longer term captain for a year or two, making it even less likely that will happen.
David a Pom
Guest
Moises Henriques for the captaincy? You're kidding right?
JamesH
Roar Guru
12 months ago I would have laughed at the suggestion that Warner should replace Smith as captain but now (ignoring potential fallout from the decision) I actually think it would be the right call. Some players naturally understand the ebb and flow of the game as a whole and can see a few steps ahead in the contest, regardless of their own ability, form or off-field issues. Taylor and Clarke did; Ponting not so much. I don't think Smith has this gift, judging from the limited matches he has captained. His treatment of Lyon this match has been demeaning and Mitch Marsh was woefully under-bowled in Sri Lanka. David Warner, on the other hand, reads the match better and he appears to have matured significantly in his outlook of late. Smith's body language on the field sometimes looks a bit petulant, whereas Warner seems to have relaxed a lot by comparison. Otherwise we're lacking in options. Voges, Nevill and Siddle might not be in the side much longer, Lyon and Starc don't need that burden and Hazlewood is too raw. Of the current crop, Khawaja seems like the only other possibility.
Oscar Dawson
Roar Rookie
Voges probably. he's had success captaining Western Australia, he's a proven batsman and is popular among his teammates. yes he's old, but that doesn't mean he won't be succesful, look at what Misbah has done with Pakistan