Ashes 2021 LIVE – Steve Smith Leading Australia: Pat Cummins is out & Australia will be led by vice-captain Steve Smith in 2nd Ashes Test. Smith is back as captain of Australia after 3.5 years gap. Smith had last led Australia in a controversial sandpaper gate Test against South Africa at Cape Town in May 2018 after which he was sacked as captain and banned from international cricket for a year. Follow Australia vs England 2nd Test LIVE updates on InsideSport.IN
AUS vs ENG LIVE Score: BIG UPDATE, Pat Cummins ruled out of 2nd test
Chaos in Australian Camp – What exactly happened? Cummins attended a restaurant in Adelaide on Wednesday evening with another professional cricketer, while a person who has been identified as Covid-19 positive was sitting at the next table.
Cummins has had a PCR test which produced a negative result but has been deemed a close contact by South Australia Health and is required to isolate for seven days.
“Cummins is understandably very disappointed not to be able to captain Australia for the day-night Test in Adelaide,” the statement from CA read.
Steve Smith will skipper the side in his absence, while Michael Neser replaces Cummins in the XI for the day-night Test in what will be his Test debut on Thursday
Smith walked out for the toss wearing the Green blazer once again and he said it was a huge honour for him to lead the Test side once again.
“Yeah (spoke to him this morning). Just good luck, go for it, it’s your team this week, control the boys and keep moving forward,” Smith told the broadcasters after winning the toss.
“It’s a huge honour obviously. Been a pretty interesting morning, bit been going on. Feel for Patty missing this game, but I’ll try to lead on the way he started last week, and hopefully, we can have a really good week,” he added.
Ashes 2021 LIVE: Steve Smith’s captaincy exile comes to an end after 3.5 years as Pat Cummins ruled out, will Shane Warne’s worst fear come true? Follow LIVE updates
- Steve Smith has led Australia in 34 Tests and won 18 matches with a win percentage of 52.94
- Smith is the 8th most successful Australia Test captain which also features Allan Border, Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke and Steve Waugh.
- A number of former Australian cricketers had expressed split reactions as Smith was named Pat Cummins’ deputy ahead of Ashes.
- Shane Warner and Damien Martyn were among those who opposed the move. Warner had even said that Smith taking charge of a test could lead to an outrage.
| Player | Span | Mat | Won | Lost | Tied | Draw | W/L | %W | %L |
| SPD Smith | 2014-2018 | 34 | 18 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 1.80 | 52.94 | 29.41 |
| TD Paine | 2018-2021 | 23 | 11 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 1.37 | 47.82 | 34.78 |
| PJ Cummins | 2021-2021 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 100 | 0 |
Earlier this month, legendary Shane Warne had opposed Steve Smith’s return to the leadership role.
“They won’t make Steve Smith captain, they can’t do that, I wouldn’t have thought they’ll do that. I don’t agree with him being vice-captain, I just don’t agree with that,” Warne told foxsports.com.au.
He had further stated that there would be “outrage” if Smith became captain if Pat Cummins ever missed a Test.
“I think how can a captain on his watch (allow) Sandpaper Gate (to) happen and a player like David Warner, who has got the best cricket brain, suddenly never be able to be a leader but the captain, where it happened on his watch, is allowed to become the vice-captain. It doesn’t make any sense to me whatsoever,” he added.
Former Australia great Damien Martyn also agreed with Warne’s sentiment with a tweet. “There are so many high paid cricket pundits but only one has come out and given their true opinion! And I 100% agree with what @ShaneWarne has to say..,” he wrote on the micro-blogging website.
Ashes 2021 LIVE: Steve Smith’s captaincy exile comes to an end after 3.5 years as Pat Cummins ruled out, will Shane Warne’s worst fear come true? Follow LIVE updates
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