A more important role than that of the Prime Minister, according to John Howard.
This is not a debate on Steve Smith’s future as captain – his position as the team’s leader is untenable. Plenty has been written.
At 28 years of age – a once-in-a-generation batsman – what an absolute shame.
The complexities of this case and as to who were exactly involved will unravel, but we have a fourth Test to play and need another skipper.
Tim Paine took the captaincy for Day 4 of the third Test, but just who is next in line for the full-time role?
Applying a process of elimination finds some fascinating things.
Firstly, it starts with who is a member of the ‘leadership group’? If it is true this group made the decision – none of them should ever be involved in any leadership structure of this team again. Lucky to play in the next Test.
The fact they would let Cameron Bancroft go and do this speaks volumes.
Dave Warner (again if he is part of this infamous group) has done nothing to dispel the suggestion that he has a dynamic batsman but stands out on the field as a vocal bully. He is such a contradiction – with the bat a poster boy for counter-attacking aggressive cricket that has changed the game, in the field someone suffering from little man syndrome.
(Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
Nathan Lyon displayed some horrific sportsmanship towards AB de Villiers in the first Test, and arguably this has been the turning point of the series – they have hardly got him out since. In this series, Lyon has not bowled with any penetration or the guile we have seen from the last 24 months.
Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc are good bowlers, but no tacticians and in any instance if they were part of a decision to give some tape to the team’s youngest player.
If we assume Bancroft goes from the team for the fourth Test with suspension, that leaves five players to potentially lead Australia for the fourth Test.
Usman Khawaja
Shaun Marsh
Mitch Marsh
Tim Paine
Pat Cummins
Of this group, it’s either one of the Marsh brothers or Cummins to lead the team. Despite taking the reins last night Paine doesn’t have too much experience with captaincy, and Khawaja is still a mystery as to whether he can permanently hold a spot in the team.
Shaun Marsh could be the first in the ‘safe pair of hands’ argument – but at 33 in the team he is still what I would call a fledgling member of the side – he is only a couple more failures away from being dropped (and to be recalled again pardon the pun).
Is Mitch Marsh (as captain of Western Australia), ready to assume the mantle? Could he ride through this storm and shepherd in the next generation? Is he durable enough?
Or is a decision to go to Pat Cummins, unusual for an Australian side to have a bowler being a leader of the team. In fact, we are nearly harking back to Richie Benaud.
As an outsider option, could an SOS be sent back home and George Bailey be flown in? He is Shield player of the year, and Tassie captain in the team presently dominating the final. He has a wealth of first-class leadership experience.
Bailey could be the archetypal short-term safe pair of hands to guide Australia through its darkest cricketing hours since the early to mid 1980s.
If not, of the current crop in the team the only man left standing there is Mitch Marsh.
When old Mother Hubbard looked there, the cupboard was bare.
Paul
Roar Guru
This is another issue that has been created by a moment of stupidity and the answer has to wait until CA and the rest of us are sure who was involved in this issue and who wasn't. They'll throw in someone for the last Test, but I'm guessing they won't be in any hurry to announce that person as our next Test captain. The players named in this article don't inspire confidence as our next Test captain, either because they're still trying to find their place in the team or they're a bowler and these are a shunned species when it comes to the Australian captaincy. There's no issue waiting a few months to let the dust settle then make a decision once emotions have settled a bit.
JohnB
Guest
Leaving to one side that Tassie isn't dominating the Shield final, if you were going to pick someone as a sort of latter day Mike Brearley (forgive spelling) George Bailey would be a decent choice. Inconceivable that a team he captained would go onto the field with a plan like Smith's. However, picking someone more for his captaincy than his play hasn't been the Australian approach in a long time (barring Bobby Simpson) and given it is probably someone not implicated in the ball tampering debacle who would have to make room for a George Bailey, it probably won't happen now. Assuming Smith is dropped from the captaincy permanently, as you say you have to look at what the team then is and who is available to captain. In the short term, if the individuals in the team retain their places (after the 4th SA test or one or two after that - hard to see there'd actually be longer bans than that from CA) Paine looks the obvious choice. When he goes in a couple of years, you look at who is in the team at that time. By then Marsh S will most likely also have gone. Khawaja may or may not be there still. Bancroft is still establishing himself as a player and may or may not still be there. Injuries may affect others. Warner won't be getting any younger. So there may be more spaces than just Paine's. Who comes in? By the time you have to look at the next long term captain, there may well be other options, making it hard to guess now.
Noah
Guest
Can I suggest Peter Handscomb as a good alternative. He captain's Victoria and has a good head on his shoulders. even though he told bancroft he was cooked i think that he had nothing to do with it other than what Boff told him over the walki talkie