Former England international Mark Butcher has characterized the decision to elevate Steve Smith to the top of Australia’s batting order as “risky business.” This move, prompted by the retirement of Australian Test opener David Warner, has sparked reactions and discussions in the UK cricket circles.
“It’s a risky business, doing that.” Butcher told Wisden Cricket Weekly. “The negative side is not just because Steve Smith has not batted at the top order for five or six years with any regularity, but it’s also about how you fill the gap with the runs he made at No. 4.
Smith, a 34-year-old cricket stalwart, now takes on the challenging role of opening alongside Usman Khawaja as Australia prepares to face the West Indies in a two-match Test series. This strategic shift not only places Smith in an unfamiliar position but also creates an opportunity for Cameron Green to assume the No. 4 spot in the order, a position he has handled at the state level but not yet in Test matches.
“Australia, picking Cam Green, who has an enormous amount of talent but hasn’t really proven it at Test level yet with bat or with ball, they’re putting an enormous amount of hope that he will score the mountain of runs, the important runs, the tough runs for Australia that Steve Smith has done for so many years batting at four.”
“You try to cover over something that’s missing by taking away from what is an absolute strength.”
On a positive note, Butcher suggests that this change could reignite the spark in Smith’s run-scoring abilities. However, he raises a critical question about how Australia plans to fill the void left by Smith’s prolific contributions at No. 4. Drawing parallels to past debates about player positions, Butcher emphasizes the significance of identifying a batsman capable of replicating the runs made at the vacated spot.
Smith is a legend of a player with a huge amount of Test match runs and experience behind him,”
“On a positive note from his side, perhaps he’s talked about it as well, the edge has gone out of him a little bit in terms of run scoring and he wanted another challenge.
“This is a chance to reinvent himself in what is a very difficult position at the top of the order. That’s the positive side from it.“
