Australia's star opener, David Warner, will retire from Tests after the ongoing series against Pakistan. The left-handed batter took the crease in the first innings of the third and final Test on Day 2, scoring 34; he will probably bat for the last time in Aussie whites on Saturday. Warner's departure would leave a gaping hole in Australia's top order as the team management searches for Usman Khawaja's new opening partner. However, one of the side's best batters has already put forth his candidature for the role.
Steve Smith, who currently bats at no.4 for Australia, stated that he would be "interested" in taking over as the new opener for Australia following the departure of Warner. Talking to ABC Grandstand following the end of Day 3 of the final Test against Pakistan, Smith insisted he was "pretty keen" to take the opening role.
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"I'm actually happy to go up the top," Smith said. "I'm pretty keen if that's what they want to do. I'm sure the selectors and Ron [Andrew McDonald] and Patty [Cummins] will have a chat after this game but yeah, I'm certainly interested for sure."
Interestingly, Smith has never opened for Australia in Tests or ODIs, and his first appearance in the opening role in the shortest format came in November last year when he batted twice in the top-2 during a T20I series against India. Consequently, Smith's name wasn't initially in the mix to replace Warner, as discussions about the opening position unfolded over the summer. The contenders included Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Cameron Bancroft, and Matt Renshaw, with Green being a surprising option. Selectors had expressed a desire to include Green after Warner's retirement, contemplating various strategies such as Marnus Labuschagne moving up to open from No. 3.
{{/usCountry}}Interestingly, Smith has never opened for Australia in Tests or ODIs, and his first appearance in the opening role in the shortest format came in November last year when he batted twice in the top-2 during a T20I series against India. Consequently, Smith's name wasn't initially in the mix to replace Warner, as discussions about the opening position unfolded over the summer. The contenders included Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Cameron Bancroft, and Matt Renshaw, with Green being a surprising option. Selectors had expressed a desire to include Green after Warner's retirement, contemplating various strategies such as Marnus Labuschagne moving up to open from No. 3.
{{/usCountry}}Unexpectedly, Smith expressed interest in the opening role, a possibility that had yet to be considered earlier. Despite having an impressive average of 61.46 with 19 Test centuries at No. 4, Smith's willingness to take on the opener's role adds a new dimension to the selection discussions. His even better Test average of 67.07 at No. 3, with eight centuries, has yet to be explored since the tours of India and Bangladesh in 2017, where he excelled in challenging spinning conditions as the captain.
Warner has also retired from ODIs, meaning there remains an opening place vacant in the fifty-over format, too.