If Paine or Finch picks an injury, Steve Smith should be named as the captain: Michael Vaughan

Former England captain Michael Vaughan believes that Cricket Australia should hand over the captaincy in Tests and ODIs to Steve Smith in the absence of Tim Paine and Aaron Finch respectively as he has excellent records to his name while leading Australia. Also, Vaughan isn’t happy with the fact that the ball-tampering incident, which happened in 2018, is still haunting Smith and is playing with his chances of leading the Men in Yellow again.

Smith, who was leading the Australian side across all the formats, was handed a two-year leadership ban after he was found guilty in the ball-tampering scandal in 2018. Though his ban ended in March 2020, CA is yet to take a call on Smith’s future as a captain. In the recently concluded T20I series between India and Australia, Matthew Wade was made the captain in a game after Finch was unfit despite the presence of Smith in the team.

Detailing his opinion on the same, Michael Vaughan stated that not making Smith the captain in T20Is is somewhat understandable but the same shouldn’t be repeated if an opportunity arises in ODIs and Tests.

“In T20 cricket is the one format in which Steve Smith is in the side of the format. It is not the form where he demands to be in the team all the time,” Vaughan said on Cricbuzz.

“But if there was ever an opportunity with Finch in the 50-over game or Tim Paine in Test cricket – and Paine will certainly lead Australia up to the next year’s Ashes. But if Paine or Finch picks an injury, I have no question in my mind that Steve Smith should be named as the captain,” he added.

Steve Smith is not an individual whose captaincy affects his batting: Michael Vaughan

Further in the interaction, the former England captain asserted that Smith is not someone whose batting performance would be affected by the added burden of captaincy. Instead, the management should look at his records while donning the captain hat as when he was the captain and he was firing on all cylinders.

“Keeping him out due to the Cape Town situation which happened many, many years ago – I don’t understand that. If they think that he is a better player by not being a captain and he is a better individual not to have the added responsibility, I would accept that. But you only need to see what he did with the bat when he was the captain and he was firing on all cylinders.

“He is not an individual whose captaincy affects his batting. It is just about figuring out who is the better leader in the group, who is the better tactician, who could help Australia with a tactical change in the middle. I think Steve Smith probably would.” Vaughan said

Vaughan signed off saying that Cricket Australia is overthinking about the 2018 scandal as everyone has moved on from that. He also believes that just because of one incident, CA shouldn’t hamper Smith’s chances of leading Australia again.

“I think they are overthinking it – they are looking at what happened a few years ago – and thinking if everyone has moved on. Of course, everyone has moved on from ball tampering incident – we have all forgotten it. The game moves on really fast. If there is an opportunity arises in ODIs or Tests, then Steve Smith definitely be Australia captain,” Vaughan concluded.