Former Australian cricket captain Bill Lawry has backed incumbent Steve Smith and rates David Warner as one of the best opening batsmen of his lifetime.
Like Warner, Lawry was a successful and prolific left-handed Test opener, but stylistically they’re polar opposites.
A dour and obdurate accumulator, Lawry averaged 47.15 over 67 Tests, while rapid scoring strokeplayer Warner averages 48,98 after 55 Tests.
Warner was one of Australia’s few success stories from their opening Test loss to South Africa in Perth earlier this week, scoring 97 and 35.
That defeat was Australia’s fourth in a row after being swept 3-0 in Sri Lanka, but Lawry maintained faith in Smith’s leadership despite the team’s recent form slump.
“Smith will be a great captain, he’s a super young player and he’ll do well,” Lawry said.
“He’s got Warner, who is one of the best opening batsman we’ve produced in my lifetime, so aggressive and so athletic so we’ve got something to build on.
“We’ve just got to get an attack that’s steady and some batsmen that can make some runs and we might have to be patient for a while.”
Lawry on Wednesday evening was inducted as a Bradman honouree at The Bradman Foundation’s Gala Dinner at the SCG.
“Bradman was the chairman of the Test selctors all the time I played, he was also chairman of selectors when I got dropped,” Lawry quipped.
Also inducted on Wednesday was another left-handed Test opener, former South African captain Graeme Smith.
Smith said he empathised with what his namesake was going through and suggested there had been a polarised atmosphere in the Australian dressing room in recent years.
“I look at him and you kind of think he’s trying to figure a lot of stuff out at the moment,” said Smith, who on Wednesday evening was inducted as a Bradman Honouree at the SCG.
“I certainly went through those phases in my career and you need to figure them out quickly.
“He’s probably asking himself a lot of questions about style of play , what type of leader he is, what is the type of players that he wants to walk on to the field with.
“What is his style? Like does he want three seamers that are fast? Does he need a guy to keep it tight? Does he want a spinner? What type of line-up and then the personality of that team.
“But as a leader, I think you need to understand that for yourself about who you are and that’s the only time you can really get your team to play with that personality.
“I think he’s trying to figure that all out at the moment. It certainly looks that way and he looks a bit lost.”
He said Australian cricket found itself in an interesting place after books from recent players, including former captain Michael Clarke, which suggested there wasn’t always total harmony.
“If I I think about earlier years it was always built on respect and the value of the baggy green,” Smith said.
“Maybe players didn’t always get on but they respected the environment and they were traditional and they understood the importance of what playing for Australia meant.
“You kind of always got the feeling that there was a polarised sense in the Aussie team over the last few years and maybe Steve Smith has inherited that a little bit and trying to build again.
“I think that has obviously come through in all the books, it comes through in the relationships that the guys had.”
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Funny how when Clarke retired I saw almost no one suggesting Warner as captain, in fact the very idea of Warner being skipper was widely ridiculed. But now everyone has 20-20 hindsight.
richard
Guest
It is obvious that Smith is not Australian captain material to most casual observers I talk to, he is a non-entity, no personality, no charisma. Who the hell is running this show, Sutherland!?. The answer is no-one, because they are all concentrating on the big bash and bean counting the short form. They should all be lined up and shot at dawn. The sooner they make Warner Captain, the sooner we will start improving. Leave Smith to concentrate on his batting where he is quite good.
Tanmoy kar
Guest
Three Series against South Africa, Pakistan and India will give an idea how good is Steven Smith as a Captain, after that a decision can be taken.
rett
Guest
Taylor is one of the best captains we've ever had, but Warner is a way better player. I'd rate him ahead of Hayden and Langer too. Are you judging Warner's running on what happened with Bavuma? If so that's harsh. Not sure I've seen a better runout.
Amrit
Roar Guru
You can say Steve Smith is conservative but sometimes conservatism pays off with a bit of intelligence and strategic planning- Alastair Cook and Misbah-ul Haq are no big, expansive leaders- sometimes you do not have to lead by example, you can even push them from the back
Roostermark
Guest
I rate a number of openers ahead of Warner as In Hayden, Langer, Taylor to name a few. Warner always gives you chances to get his wicket namely flashing outside of off stump on a wide delivery as well his risky quick singles.
bigbaz
Roar Guru
If you are rated as one of the best openers in Australia in the last 60 years, by any measure you are rated as one of the best openers in the world for that period. semantics
Andy
Guest
Bill Lawry said that Warner was one of the best 'we' have produced not one of the best in his lifetime. Pretty massive difference between, one of the best openers in the world and one of the best openers in Australia, in the last 60 years. Lawry only went so far in his praise.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
My concern with Smith as captain is, like Lawry, he is very conservative. Before giving Warner the wink, I would have liked to see him captain NSW in some Shield games first but I think the only Shield game he could play was the first one. I would leave Smith as captain at least for the next three test series (including this one) to see how he goes.