Top contenders for Australia’s Test captaincy after Tim Paine's resignation
After the highs of the T20 World Cup, Australian cricket suffered a major setback when Test captain Tim Paine announced his decision to stand down as skipper following a texting controversy that happened in 2017.
Paine mentioned that despite being exonerated by Cricket Australia of any wrongdoing, he decided to stand down in the best interests of Australian cricket as he learned that private chats from 2017 were to be made public.
Ironically, Paine’s ascendance to the Test captaincy in 2018 was also post a controversy - “The Sandpaper-gate” - which led the then captain Steve Smith (along with David Warner) to be banned from international cricket for a year (Cameron Bancroft was banned for 6 months).
Paine’s shocking announcement has become even more critical as it has come right on the eve of an important Ashes series. With the first Test just weeks away, the Aussie selectors and team management have their task cut out as they look to hand over the Test side’s reins to a worthy leader.
Three potential candidates to replace Tim Paine as Australia's test captain
1. Pat Cummins
Pat Cummins has been pipped by many, including teammate Travis Head, to be the ideal choice to lead the Australian Test side. Cummins has been a phenomenal performer for the Aussies over the years, consistently picking up wickets across formats.
The Aussie quick’s experience could come in handy for the side as he has also been the deputy to Paine since 2018. The only thing that could be a cause for concern, if at all, would be the fact that Cummins is a fast bowler and has had a large workload over the years representing Australia in all three formats.
Despite his remarkable fitness, the Aussie selectors will be wary of the existing workload of their premier fast bowler and will be slightly cautious before handing over the Test side’s reins to him. The transition to the captaincy should be easy for Cummins as he is used to being the vice-captain under Tim Paine.
2. Marnus Labuschagne
Marnus Labuschagne’s rise in Test cricket has been nothing short of a dream. The right-hander hogged the limelight as he became the first-ever cricketer to play as a concussion-substitute when he replaced Steve Smith post an injury scare against Jofra Archer during the Ashes in 2019.
More importantly, he played a match-saving half-century against the searing pace of Archer and co. and has not looked back since.
The right-hander has been their best batsman in recent times, scoring 1885 runs at an average of over 60 in 18 Test matches and has strengthened the Aussie middle-order along with Steve Smith.
Despite not having much leadership experience, the Aussie management would still be tempted to consider young Labuschagne with the added responsibility, anticipating a fresh and courageous attitude for the Test side in the post-Time Paine era – something the Aussie leaders have been known for.
3. Steve Smith
Life could come full circle for Steve Smith if the former skipper is handed the Test team’s captaincy ahead of the all-important Ashes at home, after he had to hand it to Tim Paine due to the 2018 controversy. Smith, after the sandpaper controversy in 2018, made a remarkable comeback into the Australian Test side in 2019.
During the 2019 tour of England, Smith was instrumental in winning the Ashes for his side as he scored 774 runs at an average of 110.57 with three centuries (including a double hundred) in seven innings.
Steve Smith led the Australian Test side from 2014 to 2018. In 34 Test matches, Smith led Australia to 18 wins and 10 losses while six matches ended in a draw. He has a win percentage of 52.94.
The right-hander brings in the leadership experience no one else has in the side and could be a handy proposition to lead the Test side once again.