Steve Smith 'keen' on returning to Australia captaincy if given a chance
Three years after his infamous exit as captain of the Australian Cricket Team, Steve Smith has now revealed that he is keen to return as skipper of the national side if given an opportunity.
Steve Smith, who is regarded as one of the best batsmen in modern-day cricket, was suspended from international cricket for 12 months due to his role in the infamous ball-tampering scandal in March 2018. Apart from being banned from the game for a year, Smith was also prohibited from taking up any leadership roles for 2 years.
The 31-year-old completed the 12-month ban and returned to the Australian national setup in June 2019 under the captaincy of Tim Paine and Aaron Finch in red-ball and white-ball cricket respectively.
"I've learnt so much about myself and grown as a human being," Steve Smith had said upon his return.
Addressing the Australia captaincy debate, Steve Smith told News Corp Cricket:
“I have certainly had a lot of time to think about it and I guess now I’ve got to a point where, if the opportunity did come up again, I would be keen. If it was what Cricket Australia wanted and it was what was best for the team at the time, it’s certainly something I would be interested in now, that’s for sure."
"Certainly something I would be interested in" - Steve Smith on Australia captaincy
Plenty of speculation came up around Australia's captaincy after Steve Smith completed his 2-year leadership ban. While many believe that Smith should be appointed captain again, others have strongly rejected the idea.
Steve Smith accepted that he would have to live with what happened in Cape Town irrespective of whether he takes up Australia's captaincy role or not. The star batsman reckons the incident has helped him grow as an individual and has also helped him learn more about himself.
"I feel as though I’d be in a better place if the opportunity did come up. If it doesn’t, that’s fine as well and I’d support whoever is in charge the same way I’ve supported Tim and Finchy," Smith concluded.
What's next for Steve Smith?
Steve Smith will be seen playing for the Delhi Capitals at the Indian Premier League 2021 starting April 9.
After Delhi Capitals captain Shreyas Iyer was ruled out of the tournament due to an injury, Smith could be next in line to lead the Delhi-based franchise going into IPL 2021. The Australian also holds a fairly decent record as captain in the IPL. In 43 matches as skipper, Steve Smith has won 25 games and lost 17.