(Image source: X.com)
[Saba Sports News] As Australia’s David Warner is set to retire from the Test format after the ongoing match versus Pakistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground, there will be a vacant opening position in the side.
Marcus Harris is being tipped to replace Warner as the Test opener with Cameron Bancroft and Matt Renshaw also running in the race for the spot.
Steve Smith now has thrown his hat in the ring, expressing his desire to move up from his usual No.4 batting position in Test cricket.
While Smith has played a few matches as an opener in T20Is, he has not performed the same role in the longer formats. The highest he has come to bat in Tests and ODIs is at No.3.
“I’m actually happy to go up the top. I’m pretty keen if that’s what they want to do. I’m sure the selectors and Ron [Andrew McDonald] and Patty [Cummins] will have a chat after this game but yeah, I’m certainly interested for sure,” Smith said as quoted to ABC Grandstand.
Meanwhile, Smith is struggling with the bat. He has scored only one fifty in five innings in the Pakistan Test series, accumulating a total of 190 runs.
He had pretty ordinary World Cup 2023, where he scored 302 runs in 10 innings at an average of 33.56 and a strike-rate of 80.97.