“Itch that he’d like to scratch” - George Bailey confirms Steve Smith will open the batting for Australia in Tests
Australian chief selector George Bailey has confirmed that Steve Smith will open the batting in the first Test against West Indies in Adelaide.
The usual No. 4 batter's promotion ends the massive conundrum for the Aussies in their aim to replace David Warner, who recently retired from Tests.
Smith will open with Usman Khawaja, with all-rounder Cameron Green now slated to bat at No. 4.
"Tongue in cheek I could say everything’s an experiment," Bailey said when asked if it was an experiment. "That’s been part of the discussions with Steve, I believe he’s keen for this to be a significant chapter of his career. We don’t look too far ahead… (but) for all intents and purposes this is where Steve wants to stay."
Bailey also added that the challenge of opening the batting in red-ball cricket was an 'itch that Smith would like to scratch'.
“It’s selfless that someone who has had so much success in one position or a couple of positions in the middle order is open and willing and hungry to have a crack at something new and something different," he said.
One of the greatest of his generation, Smith has never opened the innings in Tests. The closest he has come is No. 3, where he has 1,744 runs in 29 innings at an average of 67.08.
"We've all moved well past" - George Bailey on Cameron Bancroft instead of Steven Smith amid sandpaper saga
One of the names floated for the opening spot was Cameron Bancroft, the youngest player caught in the ball-tampering controversy in 2018. Bailey said Bancroft's non-selection for the series was purely a cricketing matter.
“Categorically no (issue between players and Bancroft). And I’ve shared this with Cameron on a number of occasions,” Bailey said. “It’s never been discussed, from the panel’s perspective, it’s purely a cricketing decision. There’s not a member of the team who would have an issue with Cam playing. We certainly don’t have an issue with it. I think a lot of people forget the fact that Cam’s actually played Test cricket since returning from the ban."
"It was a long time ago. We’ve all moved well past that. I’d be disappointed if people were looking to that as a reason… that’s not the case. Never has been and never will be,” Bailey added.
The two-match Test series between Australia and West Indies starts on January 17.