Is Steve Smith Australia's best captain?

I think that's what it's all about for me smith is the right guy to groom the next captain and at a good age for it 2 to 3 years before we let one of the younger guys have a go for me

We've had this discussion before Pierro and I suggest you have your views about Smiths captaincy and I have mine, so not a lot of point in covering old ground . I would be very surprised if he was made captain again, for all the reasons I've stated and one more. We want him to keep making lots of runs and if another person can take on the captains role but still allow Smith to have plenty of say, I suggest that would be a preferred outcome, certainly for the selectors.

I'd like to see Head or Labs groomed for it. I'm a stubborn custard on bowlers.

My dogmatic comments about captaincy relate to tests where tactics and especially strategies are more profoundly applied. 16 times, l don’t recall that many, but l do find ODIs a bit of a yawn.

I’d certainly not appoint Cummins yet . Every road leads to smith on multiple levels people need to get over the past it’s long gone and smith is a liked generous charitable guy off field and will surely be a much tougher man manager in the hutch now , hes the best captain and most experienced in the team and head and Cummins would learn more and more from him as would labuschagne and one of them can take the role 2 to 3 years on

Don’t know about that on warne he captained the odi Aussie side 16 times for 16 wins I recall or close to that record . He was a great leader on the field mate and always next to captains making decisions and set his own fields to his bowling with great success over many years . He would have made a better captain than ponting . What cost him the gig was his off field antics particularly in England with women. We were tactically beaten in a few ashes In which ponting made some poor decisions . In effect leaving ponting to bat and not captain would have kept his average closer to 60 . It went down after he became captain.

Still have a watchful eye on Lyon this summer against India he needs to bowl well

Paul point four is your best comment in that yes he would only captain the test team as Finch is great in. Short form . I'm not sure there's a problem with the other four points , the interim period is long over and smith has been a good role model off the field and really think the ban is for not managing or rather knowing Warner would stoop so low and the press conference that CA should have been there to manage sooner . His bam was excessive for me and I think he's got nothing to prove anymore and look what he did in the ashes . He will simply be a better captain and he's never had a problem off the field . He was very astute during the ashes with Paine relying on him for decisions at times and not listening at other times to smith when he should have arguably . He's the most experienced man for the job and Australia would only improve for sat two to three years with Smith as captain and he could groom the successor . I think people need to forgive his negligence and move on its not like he chose sandpaper and had intent to use it . It's been a ridiculous persecution for me and he's come through it like champions do leading the team with his bat to retaining the ashes alongside some great pace bowling

No to Cummins. Yes there is that rare beast, re bowlers, all-rounders & keepers, who can balance the two demands- their forte AND the captaincy duties on the field. But esp not fast bowlers. Not that they can't, some do have the nous, but that they're heavily compromised with competing energies. ---- Yes rare candidates, like Khan and Benaud, are there but they are outliers. Warne was tactically good; not doubt about that. But a leader? No way. However Warne is in my World XI.

Bowling injured didn't help.

I think there are a few reasons why Smith as captain is a poisoned chalice; 1. the press will be all over, not only everything he says or does on the field, but off it as well. It's been bad enough in the 12-18 months since he came back into big time cricket, but it will be far worse if gains the captaincy. 2. He'd have win over a huge number of very sceptical media and public people, while still trying to remain the best bat in world cricket AND captain the team. Remember, unlike others, he only has to do one thing wrong and he'll be crucidied by many. 3. He have to show way more ability as captain in terms of his man management and I'm yet to be convinced he can do that. 4. He have to show he's improved tactically. I thought he was okay to good in his last Ashes series as captain but he was poor in white ball cricket. I'm not sure whether that means he sticks to captaining the Test side if given the chance? 5. He has to manage pressure. He's clearly able to do that when batting but has struggled mightily when other pressures are put on him, eg Davey Warner's antics, his evident exhaustion after the Ashes series win, etc. If he is going to return to an Australian leadership role, I'd love to see him do so in Shield cricket first, or even take away an A side if that's possible. I don't see why he should simply jump straight back into the Test captaincy, not with so many potential question marks over his head.

Disagree still Jeff . One may not equate to the other but Smiths the best captain in this team right now by some distance . Past is the past. He will be a much stronger player manager now and thats his weakness. He was all over paine in the ashes with better decisions at slip. I watched it ringside in england at two tests. Paine made alot of key blunders tactically in each test. Have to go to town on this point reapeatadly on this forum as people are recreating reality on the england series decision making on here.for me. Interim period is over. Id argue paine should concentrate on his wicket keeping and improve his away batting and groom the next keeper he’s done his job in the interim period but he’s not great tactically and the recent series in Australia was a 5 nil gift given the openers thumped up huge runs, and we won’t the toss a lot and NZ got hammered with injuries . Id certainly want the new captain in place for the big subcontinent tour if it happens and prefer that captain to have a few tests at home to galvanize the team before the ball is ripping and pressure is on over there. Paines getting a bit long in the tooth as well

Id disagree Simoc Smiths a way better captain than Paine . Paine was a poor decision maker in the ashes test after test at key moments. Smith, labs and Cummins save his hind big time. Id say let Paine concentrate on his poor batting away from home and also let him concentrate on his great keeping and usher in the next keeper. Interim period is over We need to move on . Smith will be a much better captain and Paines average as captain is bumped up significantly by a number of obvious factors.

Smith captain easily. He's done his time and will be better for it and was all over paine tactically in the tests in england. Cummins I'm a huge fan but why not usher him in to the role . He's had stress fractures before and is bowling at an average which is pretty much leading australian pace bowler alongside glenn mcgrath right now . Smith has the experience and will make gun decisions from slip and the negligence in the pavilion and press conf is long past. He came out like champions do in england and with cummins and labs were the key players in retaining the ashes with a draw which should have been a win with better leadership/decisions for me.

I think cummins is definitely in the running with Smith being obvious go to. Both could do a fine job but why exert cummins when he's in the bowling form of his life and having an impeccable run back from injury perhaps after smith he could take a crack. Decision seems easy to me

Very true jeff . Holder underrated on a few fronts.

But rowdy warne would have been a master tactician as captain too despite him being annoying off field, on it he was brilliant tactically and should have replaced ponting . Perhaps one point is spinners would make much better captains than pace bowlers given the exertion needed for pace bowling and they often stand deep in the fielding away from the wicket where as warne was always in the slips and less exerted . Interesting thoughts

Interesting comments from you and Sproose . you both make some good points , worth airing the discussion actually . I actually think Smith and Cummins are both the obvious go to options . Its not that difficult now theres been a long break after an excessive time period of bans. Can really galvanize this team again. Warners days will be numbered after the next two home summers on age and poor form abroad alone

Yeah but rowdy tell that to imran khan or benaud bowlers can captain . Agreed id rather have a batsman in the role in general of curse with smith in the hutch though as captain from slip, and now he has more backbone and experience after a negligence slip in the pavilion and panic bout with the press and no support from CA in time . I think we are making a hideous mistake not to reappoint him against India actually as captain. Let paine do his job as keeper and improve his batting as the interim period is now finally over. What a joke the length of the bans were too . Cummins is now currently averaging what is close to Australias best pace bowler of all time . He’s a match winner. Id give Smith the armband for two or three years then groom cummins after the next ashes tour in england. Let paine now enjoy some keeping in his twighlight and do his job there and focus on his batting whilst he grooms the next keeper. Its actually common sense to me going forward and best for the team now.

I felt sorry for gary can't blame him on the fielding in the ashes , the throw was too wide too. That said he had a poor series really. A bit concerned about where his form might be heading , he was ok against poor teams back on home soil and was poor at times in england. Superb career though before the ashes.