Australia’s stand-in captain for the West Indies ODI series, Steve Smith, has affirmed that he will continue batting in the middle-order in the 50-over format. Despite recently transitioning to the opening position in Test cricket following David Warner’s retirement, Steve Smith has committed to maintaining his role in the middle order for ODIs.
We have got some versatility there so it should be exciting- Steve Smith
In a statement to the press before the commencement of the first ODI, Smith indicated that he is unlikely to make changes to the combination that proved successful in the 2023 World Cup.
“We’ll keep it consistent I suppose and with myself and ‘Marn’ (Marnus Labuschagne) at four and five like the World Cup and then we’ll probably see some guys having an opportunity up top and mixing matching a little bit. With the guys we’ve got in the squad, we’ve got some versatility there so it should be exciting,”
Following an intense summer, key players such as Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Marsh, and Glenn Maxwell have been given a break by the selectors for the ODI series. This presents an opportunity for emerging talents like Lance Morris, Xavier Bartlett, and Aaron Hardie to showcase their skills and stake a claim in the squad.
It’s maybe Josh Inglis and Chris Green potentially at three– Steve Smith
Steve Smith has identified Josh Inglis and Cameron Green as the leading candidates to fill the No.3 spot in the absence of Mitchell Marsh. Smith added,
“Mitch Marsh obviously isn’t here, but he’s obviously a candidate to be batting somewhere in the top three in one-day cricket … I think it’s maybe Inglis and Greeny potentially at three, we’ll have to sort it out with the selectors, but I think that’s the top three potentially for the first game,”
Australia is set to play its first ODI series since winning the 2023 World Cup, and the series opener against the West Indies will take place on February 2 in Melbourne.
Hopefully making their experience an enjoyable one– Steve Smith
Smith emphasized the responsibility he holds as a senior player in the team, especially considering the relatively inexperienced side due to the absence of key players. The senior pro added,
“I’m a senior player in this group, we’ve got a lot of young guys so teaching them the ropes coming into the Australian team for the first time and hopefully making their experience an enjoyable one,”