Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting has said that in the current scenario, Indian skipper Virat Kohli is the number one batsman in the world only because of the fact that Steve Smith is barred from playing international cricket.

During Channel Sleven’s cricket season launch, Ricky said, “Right now, he (Kohli) is because Steve Smith is not there. (But) if he was playing now, I’d have him as the number one player in the world.” 

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Talking about Steve’s contribution for the Australia cricket, the former captain insisted that the right-hander has led the team to over the line a plethora of time only with his batting. He said, “That’s how high in regard I hold Steve Smith– what he’s done the last three or four years with his game and (he’s been) able to lead an Australian team to so many wins the way he has (batted).”

Mentioning about last year’s Ashes series where Smith amassed as many as 687 runs in seven innings, the two-time World Cup-winning captain said that performing well in one of the biggest rivalries in international cricket tells a lot about Steve’s capabilities.

Ponting elaborated, “The Ashes summer last year was just some of the best and purest batting as you’re ever going to see. To do it on the big stage in an Ashes series, and to do it on the first day of an Ashes series when it counts the most, says a lot about him.”

Smith along with David Warner and Cameron Bancroft is currently serving a ban from international cricket after being involved in the ball tampering scandal against South Africa in March. Smith and Warner were slapped with one-year ban each by Cricket Australia while Bancroft is out of action for nine months.