Concerns are continuing to mount over whether Australian captain Pat Cummins will be fit to play for the Baggy Greens in the opening Test of this summer’s Ashes series, with his vice-captain Steve Smith, having revealed this week that the skipper is yet to resume bowling.
Cummins revealed last week that he had doubts over whether he would be ready to play in Perth when England and Australia meet for the first time on November 21.
The good news for Australians is that the 32-year-old New South Wales star has begun running again and Aussie batsman Smith has backed him to make a quick turnaround.
‘He probably doesn’t need as much (preparation) as Josh (Hazlewood) or (Mitchell) Starc,’ Smith told reporters this week.
‘Things can turn around pretty quickly. We’ll see where everything lands with him. He’s obviously got a few things to tick off and get into his bowling. He’s in good spirits.’
In Cummins’ absence, Smith has captained Australia on multiple occasions, notably leading the Baggy Greens to victory during their tour of Sri Lanka earlier this year. He will likely be the man chosen to lead the side out at the Optus Stadium for their Ashes opener, should Cummins not be ready to play.
However, Test great Greg Chappell has declared that the captaincy should be handed to another player within the squad, not Smith.
‘I would go with Head, knowing that you’ve got Smith there to support him,’ Chappell, who vice-captained Australia at the 1975 Cricket World Cup, said to News Corp.
‘It’s a great opportunity to give him that experience.’
Chappell, who scored 7,110 runs across 87 Tests for Australia, explained his reasoning behind the bold move, claiming that Australia should be looking to give Head more responsibility if selectors see him as the side’s future leader.
‘If you think he’s your next long-term captain, getting in there while he’s got Smith around to give him that support.’
Australia named Smith and Head joint vice-captains during their Test series against India at the start of the year, and both have impressed as leaders within the side.
Head has enjoyed an excellent few seasons in Australia’s top order in both red and white ball cricket. He notably led the side to World Cup glory in 2023, hitting 137 runs during the final to guide his side to victory against India.
He’d follow that up again with some massive scores during his side’s recent Test series against India, hitting knocks of 140 and 152 during Tests in Adelaide and Brisbane.
Smith, meanwhile, also captained Australia for 34 Tests between 2014 and 2018, before he stepped down following the ball tampering scandal.
Smith has bounced back from a blip in form during 2023 and 2024, when he went 13 games without scoring a century.
But he’d finally break his duck in Brisbane at the end of last year, sweeping away a 101 against India, before going on to score tons in three of the four resulting Tests he played in.
Smith, a hugely revered member among the Aussie squad, says he is primed to step up in place of Cummins if called upon.
‘I’ve stood in a couple of times over the last few years,’ Smith said. ‘It’s nothing out of the ordinary. I know how the team operates, we’re in a good place, if it happens, I’ll look forward to it.’
“I feel like I go to another level and try to set a standard,” Smith said. ‘It’s worked well when I’ve stood in over the last few years. It will be just a seamless transition if that comes around.’
Chappell has also offered a solution to the conundrum of who should partner with Usman Khawaja and open the batting.
Marnus Labuschagne was trialled at the top order during Australia’s defeat by South Africa in the World Test Championship Final this year, but was dismissed for a cumulative score of 22.
‘It still would feel like an experiment to me if you sent Marnus out to open the batting. I don’t think it’s time for experimenting,’ Chappell said.
The 77-year-old Test legend has instead advocated for Queensland star Matt Renshaw to partner Khawaja.
‘It seems that Khawaja is a lock for the first Test. So then, you know, finding someone synergistic to bat with Khawaja, I would go with Renshaw. I think he’s played a bit of Test cricket, so he’s not a novice,’ Chappell said.
Renshaw made his Test debut back in 2016, and would go on to post a huge 184 against Pakistan in 2017 before a dip in form would see him be dropped in 2023.
In recent months, Renshaw has posted some big scores for Australia A, notably amassing a score of 106 during a clash against Sri Lanka on July 6.
