Cricket Australia, on Friday, confirmed the appointments of Steven Smith and David Warner as captain and vice-captain respectively of the Australian Test and ODI teams after a board meeting in Melbourne. The appointments come a week after incumbent skipper
Michael Clarke announced his decision to retire at the end of the ongoing Ashes series. Smith, who skippered Australia in three Tests last summer against a visiting Indian side, becomes the 44th formally appointed captain of the Australian Test side. His elevation to the top job, as Chief Selector Rod Marsh pointed out, was straightforward. "When Michael (Clarke) made his decision to retire last week it was a very straightforward decision for us to nominate Steve as his successor," Marsh said.
"He has big shoes to fill but everything about him suggests he is the right man for the job. At 26, he is a fine young man with extraordinary talent, excellent leadership qualities and a terrific temperament."
While Smith's appointment had been along expected lines, Warner's pedigree in leadership roles had always been in question due to his involvement in several on and off the field scraps. He was also subject to a warning from the CA Chief Executive last year who asked him not to go looking for trouble following an altercation with Rohit Sharma. The 28-year old combative opener, however, has been vocal about his decision to mellow down on the field.
"David has matured and developed into an important senior figure in the Australian team. He has come a long way. He had valuable experience captaining the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL earlier this year and we are confident he will provide strong support to Steve as his deputy. We believe that he will respond well to the added responsibility of leadership," Marsh said.
The duo will take up their responsibilities in the upcoming series of One-day internationals in Ireland and the UK followed by Australia's Test series against Bangladesh in September-October.
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