I'm just looking at it from a critical angle. He's 34, Khawaja is 37. How is this a long term solution? What if it fails but Green or whoever comes in at 4 and succeeds? Where does that leave Smith then?
Who said its a long term solution? If the selectors feel he can do a better job than Renshaw, Harris and Bancroft then that's it, isn't it? Given others are not exactly banging down the door.
Bancroft is 31 and coming out of his peak batting years, same with harris. How's that any more future proof than smith? Renshaw is 28 and i'de be giving him a run, but as other's have mentioned here despite good numbers for AUS-A/PM's XI and county runs he also **** the bed in india and has been patchy in the shield. If the scenario you described plays out, renshaw comes in and we have to find another opener whenever uzzie decides to call it quit's. So where in the same situation a year on, but our #4 is 25 and not 35.
If they are to look at the future, then Smith opening is the best option as it brings Green in to the side to play in the place most people think is the ideal for him
The thing is that green's template at FC level batting for 4 WA has been to get somewhere like 25(60) or 30(75) then up the gears and end up scoring at a good clip later on. His career best vs QLD from the absolute peak of his form in 2021 is a classic example of that (
This is a fair point - he wouldn't have been dropped at four. I imagine he burst through the selectors' door, told them the alternatives are all **** and I'm the man for the job. Ballsy. I still think he'll average >30 but good on him.
Smith can get to the Ashes, and if hes the guy they think is the best to do the job, then it's a no brainer. If it fails, Renshaw comes in. When Ussie retires, Renshaw comes in. He's played enough Test cricket to know where he needs to be when that time comes.
Under 40 is fair but jeez he is not all of a sudden going to turn in to a low order batsman to average in the 20s. It would still be the same cricket ball that he has been averaging 45 since the 2019 Ashes and he has been out there facing the new ball more than enough in his career to adjust
That's my opinion, my good man. I might be right, I might be wrong - I'm quite often wrong. It's just a prediction. He's averaged 42 in the relative comfort of 4 for the last 12 months - yes, at times he's come in early, but any top order player will tell you it's never the same as going out there first, having to face two guys with a brand new ball and some energy in their legs. It might be the same ball, but it's one with the maximum amount of lacquer on it for swing, bounce, seam etc. He's 34, it looks to me as if his eye is not what it was. He's never done that job, it would be doing a disservice to say anything other than it is the hardest job in cricket.
www.espncricinfo.com
Oh ****. I meant under 30. So Gob ended up disagreeing but agreeing with a statement I made in error. Wild.
It should be shown here
www.cricket.com.au
If he averages under 30 against WI that's a very bad sign lol
Pretty sure SteveNZ himself could average over 30 against WI at the moment.
This may form part of my downfall...but I'll back in Alzarri Joseph and Kemar 'I average 90 in Australia' Roach. Incidentally, I would never have guessed Roach would have 265 Test wickets at just over 27s.
I think it's the 10th year anniversary since I last picked up a bat...but is Roston Chase still in that side? If so, I think you're right
