SMITH TAKES ROOT
Joe snub leaves Oz star stumped
STEVE SMITH admits he was surprised to see Joe Root overlooked by England for the forthcoming Twenty20 series between the sides.
Test captain Root has been left out, despite the ongoing absence of Ben Stokes and an injury to Jason Roy, suggesting England’s selectors are moving on from arguably their most accomplished technical batsman when it comes to the shorter format.
Australia have taken the opposite route, drafting their most dominant red- ball player – Smith – back into the T20 lineup after a three- year absence between 2016 and 2019.
And they have handed him the kind of ‘ designated driver’ brief Root aspires to in a side full of power- hitters and innovators.
Smith said: “It’s a surprise. Joe is a terrific player across all formats of the game.
“I guess England are opting for all- out power and are continuing to go that way. Everyone’s got different game- plans.
“If everyone played the same it would be a pretty boring game. There’s a few ways to skin a cat and ours might be a little bit different to England’s, which might be a little bit different to India’s.
“That’s the route they’ve taken for now but I guess we’ll concentrate on the way we go about our business.”
Smith sees clearly how he fits into Australia’s plan, with the T20 series starting on Friday.
“I know my role within this team,” he said.
“It’s important every player has a role to play and understands the way they play their best.
“I know if I’m batting with someone like Glenn Maxwell or Aaron Finch my role is to get them on strike and let them smack it.
“For me it’s about hitting gaps, sort of playing an anchor role and fixing things up if the big boys don’t get out there and smack it.
“We all know our roles and I’m comfortable with mine.
“You’ve got to keep refining and keeping up with the new skills. You’ve just got to keep getting better. But I don’t think there’s a reason why players can’t be quality across all formats.”
One role Smith is not looking at is that of Australia captain.
The former skipper is now eligible once again after the expiration of a two- year ban on leadership positions, dating back to his part in the ball- tampering scandal in 2018.
His predecessor Ricky Ponting has suggested Smith should only be restored once the Australian public are ready to accept him.
But the 31- year- old insists he is happy in the ranks under Test captain Tim Paine and limited- overs counterpart Finch.
“The guys we’ve got are doing great jobs across the formats,” he said.
IAN WATMORE took over from Colin Graves as the new ECB chairman yesterday and promised to increase diversity at the sport’s governing body. He said: “I very much want to have a diverse, inclusive board at the top of English cricket but also right through English cricket.”