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Former Australia opening batter Aaron Finch has opined that Steve Smith must be restored to his earlier No. 4 position in the red-ball batting line-up. The ace batter was promoted to the top of the order after David Warner's retirement earlier this year.
So far, Smith has not been able to cast a lasting impression in the makeshift role. He scored a valiant fifty in the second Test against the West Indies at The Gabba but apart from that, there is not much to note about his recent displays. He particularly struggled on the tour of New Zealand against the moving new ball, and since then, calls to bring an end to the experiment have been constant.
Much like Finch, former players such as Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer have voiced their reservations over the shuffled batting order, and so has Smith's current opening batting partner Usman Khawaja.
In a conversation with 7News, Aaron Finch said:
"(Smith opening) did make a bit of sense when you’re trying to find the best spot for Cameron Green in the side when everybody’s been quite open about the fact that they want to push him in the side no matter what it takes."
"I can see where the move came from, Steve putting his hand up and saying, ‘You know what, maybe it is time for a new challenge,’ and he proved himself a good opener, no doubt about that. But, I mean, when you’ve averaged near on 60 over your career, I think it’s time to head back in that direction, in my opinion," he added.
Smith has left the decision regarding his batting position to the team management, saying he has no issue with either opening or playing in the middle order.
"All around the world, he’s probably proved himself to be an outstanding wicket-keeper" - Aaron Finch wants Alex Carey to take over Travis Head's attacking role
With Steve Smith opening the batting, Cameron Green has slotted in the No. 4 role, the same position he occupies in domestic cricket. If Smith were to return to his old position, Australia might have to drop one of their batters to bring in a bonafide opener.
However, Aaron Finch has proposed a solution where Travis Head is promoted to the top of the order. He has also backed Alex Carey to fill the aggressive void left by Head in the middle order.
In the same interview, Finch said:
“All around the world, he’s probably proved himself to be an outstanding wicket-keeper and then the runs are really important, especially against a team like India. Their bowling attack is so strong that you can’t allow them to dictate terms to you because they’re so consistent. They’re so accurate. So the way that he plays and puts the pressure back on oppositions will be a really crucial role at No. 7ebecause there will be early wickets."
Carey had scored a counter-attacking 65 off 49 deliveries and an unbeaten 98 off 123 deliveries against the West Indies and New Zealand, respectively, earlier this year to rescue his side. The wicket-keeper batter has proven to be a handy addition with the bat and averages 31.88 in Test cricket.
