Australia has announced Steve Smith as the new Test opener
Matt Renshaw picked as David Warner's replacement, Cameron Green gets the nod to bat at No. 4
The post Australia has announced Steve Smith as the new Test opener appeared first on Cricket Country.
Australia’s new Test opener, Steve Smith, has been formally confirmed by selectors chairman George Bailey. Smith has been selected to bat first even though Matt Renshaw was chosen by the selection panel to take David Warner’s spot in the Test team for the match against the West Indies.
Renshaw will thus only be used as a reserve batter going forward, since Bailey also revealed that Cameron Green will be starting in the starting lineup. With a stellar record at No. 4 in first-class cricket, the all-rounder is expected to bat in the same position in Test matches as well.
Smith had previously stated that he was interested in moving up the position after Warner’s retirement, even though he was averaging over 60 at No. 3 and No. 4. Smith had support from players like colleague Marnus Labuschagne and former captain Michael Clarke, despite the fact that captain Pat Cummins wasn’t in favour of changing the batting order.
“Steve’s obviously motivated and energized and keen to do it,” Bailey said. “There were plenty within the team who were pretty keen to go on record and say that they weren’t keen to do it. So it was refreshing that Steve had come forward and said he wanted it and it was something that we’d been chatting about in the background as a selection panel with the coaches as well.
“It’s selfless that someone who’s had such success in one position or a couple of positions in the middle order that he’s open and willing and hungry to go and have a crack at something new and something different, which provides that opportunity to slot Cam into a position where he’s had so much success at first-class level and we think ultimately, is a great spot for him to be in the Test team.”
Despite requests from certain quarters for Cameron Bancroft to be chosen as Warner’s successor following his dominance in the Sheffield Shield run charts, the selection panel chose Renshaw’s versatility, having batted in many places during his first-class career. In a recent tour match, he amassed an undefeated 136 against Pakistan as well. His final international match was in India for the Border Gavaskar Trophy.
“I think ultimately you can mount statistically some strong cases for a number of players,” Bailey noted. “As it currently stands, the panel sees Matt Renshaw is our next best batter. We’ve gone back 18 months or so and I think if you take into account all first-class cricket I think across that time, those guys have played Shield cricket, some county cricket, some Australia A cricket, and PM’s XI games. Matthew’s played a couple of Tests in Australia and in India across that period and his numbers stack up as well as anyone’s across that time.”
In addition to Renshaw, Australia’s 13-man roster for the opening Test matchup against the West Indies in Adelaide will include Scott Boland. Boland was just cleared to play in the BBL ahead of the Test match against Pakistan in Sydney.
Squad for first Test– Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc.
The post Australia has announced Steve Smith as the new Test opener appeared first on Cricket Country.