So well was Steve Smith performing prior to his retirement from one-day cricket this week, even respected players and pundits from Australia’s greatest rival lavished him with praise.
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After starring in a Champions Trophy that has proven a wrecking ball for international captains, ex-English skippers Mike Atherton and Nasser Hussain said Smith departs 50-over cricket at the peak of his powers.
Hussain said the 35-year-old, who is among the five potential captaincy changes stemming from the Champions Trophy, had skippered an undermanned Australia superbly during the tournament.
Smith led an Australian-side missing its three premier pace bowlers and also riddled with injuries to key batters to the semifinals before falling to the powerful Indians by four wickets in a cracking contest in Dubai on Tuesday.
“When you watched him bat in that game (against India) and bat recently, actually, he is not a man whose skills are waning. He had a little quiet period for a time, but in the last six months to a year, he has played beautifully,” Hussain told Sky Sports in England.
“He played beautifully the other day and his captaincy in this tournament, and against India the other day, the way he got the most out of those resources with all the players that were missing, with his gut feel and his tactical nous and his want to win for Australia, (that) has never, ever been doubted.
“If you are going to go out, and alright, it was a loss, but the way he carried himself in this tournament and the way he batted was excellent.”
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While stating it was time for Australian cricket to look to the future in ODI cricket ahead of its defence of the World Cup title in Africa in 2027, Smith will continue in the other formats.
“Test cricket remains a priority and I am really looking forward to the World Test Championship Final, the West Indies (tour) in the winter and then England (in the Ashes) at home. I feel I still have a lot to contribute on that stage,” Smith said.
Another former England captain Mike Atherton agrees. With more than two years until the next World Cup, Smith will instead prioritise major series which, if he is performing well, could include additional tours of India and England in his late 30s.
If Virat Kohli, who led India into Sunday’s final with an unbeaten century against Australia, is at his best in ODI cricket, Atherton believes Smith’s finest performances have come in the Test arena.
“His retirement statement, saying he wants to play T20 and Test cricket, but not 50 over cricket, kind of reflects where the game is,” he said on Sky Sports.
“He has been a fantastic player across all formats for Australia. You would probably say Test cricket is his best format, his super strength if you want to use that term, whereas with (Virat) Kohli, you would say that ODI cricket is his best format.”
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Smith may not be the only captain to end his ODI career on a high in this Champions Trophy amid speculation as to the future of Indian skipper Rohit Sharma, who turns 38 in April.
The opener is the first skipper to lead a nation to the finals of all ICC tournaments having steered India to the deciders of the World Test Championship in London and also the World Cup at home in 2023, with Australia winning both titles.
After leading India to a T20 World Cup success in the Caribbean and United States last year, Sharma retired from the role in that form of the game and has a chance to go out on top in ODI cricket.
Following the round-robin phase of the Champions Trophy, England’s skipper Jos Buttler relinquished the captaincy he has held since 2022 after his nation failed to fire a shot.
England’s director of cricket Rob Key has mooted Test skipper Ben Stokes as a potential replacement, while star batter Harry Brook is considered another leading candidate to fill the vacancy.
“I believe that Test cricket and 50-over cricket are probably closer now, with T20 the outlier. I think nothing is off the table. You look at every option and you think, ‘What is the best thing to do?’” he said.
“Ben Stokes is one of the best captains I’ve ever seen, so it would be stupid not to look at him. It’s just the knock-on effect of what that means. You are just looking for the best person, really, someone who you think can take this forward. We’re not going to rush this decision. We’ll take a bit of time.”
Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan, meanwhile, has kept the ODI captaincy but the PCB stripped him of the T20 role after the host nation failed to win a game during the tournament.
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South African skipper Temba Bavuma’s tenure is also the source of conjecture after his nation fell short in another ICC event following a promising start, though retired fast bowling compatriot Vernon Philander believes he is a “fantastic leader”.
He said Bavuma, whose side lost to New Zealand in the semifinals after being forced to endure a farcical travel schedule prior to the match, is a “fantastic leader”.
“I think what he has done over the last 24 months is that he has started to win that change room over,” he told ESPN.
“I think he’s done phenomenally well in the Test match arena [where they will play the 2025 championship final] and I don’t think we play near enough ODI cricket to play judgement down on it.
“But if you look at his numbers, you look at his records in ODI cricket, I think he has been a wonderful player for South Africa. I think he has led from the front with the bat.
“Of course, this evening he just couldn’t get going, but they were heavily reliant on his form to get South Africa to where they are this evening.
“I wouldn’t make a call too early. It’s still early days. I think Temba still has a couple of years left in him. I just think Cricket South Africa will need to have an overall look at the way they approach, the way they prepare (for ICC tournaments).”
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