Cricket Australia (CA) has made the verdict of ball-tampering scandal, where skipper Steven Smith (one year banned), vice-captain David Warner (one year banned) and young Test opener Cameron Bancroft (nine months banned) have faced suspension from international and domestic cricket.
In the addition, Warner will never be a captain for the national side while Smith and Bancroft will have to wait one more year after the end of their suspensions to able for leading the national side once again. The current situation in the Australian cricket team is totally in the affray, while the main question is who will take the leadership role for the national side. Observing the present emergency situation, it looks like CA can go for different captain in different format method.
Tim Paine (only for Test): Even the one week earlier, Tim Paine’s life was very normal but the current controversies provide a sudden big opportunity for him. After the resignation of Steven Smith and David Warner from the leadership roles, the wicketkeeper-batsman Tim Paine has been selected as a stand-in-captain for the Australian team.
After almost six years, Paine made an international comeback in February, last year, through the T20I. In last November during the Ashes series, he made the Test comeback after more than seven long years. Recently, he also made his ODI comeback but the captaincy role is totally shocker for him. It’s time to see whether the 33-years old wicketkeeper-batsman is ready for that role or not.
Paine was captain for Australian U-19 side during the 2004 ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup, where Australia had finished as runners-up in the plate competition (not the original or Super League). While he has experience in several leadership roles in domestic cricket, he was the T20I vice-captain of Australian cricket team in January 2011. However, it is the first time when Paine is going to leading the national side.
Also read: Darren Lehmann finally speaks out about the ball-tampering incident
Usman Khawaja (only for Test): The left-handed top-order batsman is now the front-runner to become the next Australian Test captain. Though Tim Paine is in the charge for the last Test of the ongoing series in the South Africa tour, Khawaja is not yet run out of the Test captaincy role.
While Steven Smith and David Warner have no chance to recent return in international cricket, the 31-years old can be a good choice for the national Test cricket team. Since August 2015, Khawaja is serving as captain of the Queensland cricket team till the date.
Aaron Finch (for limited-overs): Just more than a year away from the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup and it is sure that CA is looking for an experienced man for the ODI leadership role. Aaron Finch will be a good option for that. He has led the Australian ODI side twice but lost both of them. However, in the present emergency situation, he can be a good option for Australian ODI side as he has the good captaincy experience for the several domestic cricket sides.
The attacking explosive batsman can also lead the national T20I side. The 31-years old has also led the national side in 9 matches where his team has claimed 4 victories. The next ICC World T20 will be played in 2020 (October-November) and they will play that tournament as a host team, so they need to build up a strong T20I side for that tournament and they have enough time for it. CA can begin with him on their new journey in T20I cricket.
Mitchell Marsh (especially for ODI): Under his captaincy, Australia U-19 had won the 2010 ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup. Currently, he is the captain of Western Australia while cricket experts are looking this 26-years all-rounder as the future Australian captain. Though Australia has just more than a year before the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup, CA can begin with him for the upcoming new ODI season. Meanwhile, Mitchell Marsh hasn’t played T20I since 2016 ICC World T20.
Though he is also a regular Test cricketer at present, it may not be the right time for him to take the longer-format captaincy as he has not a sufficient leadership experience in the longer formats.
Glenn Maxwell (only for T20I): An experienced T20I cricketer who led the IPL side Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) in 2017 season. As an explosive batsman, 29-years old Maxwell will not be a bad choice as a new leader for Australian T20I side. While Australia will organize the next ICC World T20I in 2020, Maxwell has enough time to set up a strong team.
Also read: Maxwell returns in the Test squad
Special note: As a surprise package, CA can also look at in-form 27-years old left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc for at least short-term longer-format captaincy. However, currently, it is not in favor of him as he is inexperienced in the leadership role as well as he is fighting with the uncertainty of fitness.
