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New Delhi [India], February 19 (ANI): ICC Corridor of Famer and former skipper Ricky Ponting has backed Steve Smith to play as an opener through the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, saying that he might anchor the innings for Aussies on the high of the order.
Australia’s ICC Champions Trophy marketing campaign will kickstart on February 22 at Lahore towards arch-rivals England, adopted by matches towards South Africa (February 25) at Rawalpindi and Afghanistan (February 28) at Lahore.
Ponting was talking about Australia’s present harm woes with host Sanjana Ganesan on the newest episode of The ICC Overview, with common skipper Pat Cummins, fellow quick bowlers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazelwood, all-rounders Cameron Inexperienced and Mitchell Marsh, plus even recently-retired all-rounder Marcus Stoinis (retired from ODIs) all lacking from their 15-player squad for the occasion.
Whereas Travis Head appears sure to function in Australia’s high order on the Champions Trophy, Ponting thinks selling Smith up from his common position at quantity 4 is one thing selectors could also be contemplating forward of their first match on the event towards England in Lahore on February 22.
It’s a position Smith has relished domestically in T20 cricket, for the Sydney Sixers in Australia’s home Large Bash League, which lately included a searing 121* off 64 balls towards the Perth Scorchers in January.
From 151 ODI innings for Australia, Smith has batted in all places from third within the line-up proper all the way down to eighth, however has by no means opened.
The choice centres across the religion Australian selectors have in gifted hitter Jake Fraser-McGurk, who remains to be but to ship on the promise he is proven lately.
Fraser-McGurk averages simply 14 from the seven innings he is performed in ODIs, since making his debut in February 2024, with a high rating of 41 off 18 deliveries towards the West Indies in Canberra. Six of these seven innings had been as an opener. Matt Quick (197 runs in 13 matches with one fifty), J Fraser McGurk (98 runs in seven matches with the most effective rating of 41) and Josh Inglis (543 runs in 27 ODIs at a median of 23.60 with three fifties in center order) haven’t confirmed themselves in ODIs to have the ability to turn out to be Head’s opening associate.
‘Yeah, he’s making it more durable and more durable (for selectors to stay with Fraser-McGurk),’ Ponting stated on the newest episode of The ICC Overview.
‘He has not had the best of summers. I imply, there’s simply a lot expertise there. There’s a lot capability and ability and expertise that we now have noy type of seen constantly sufficient simply but. And that is without doubt one of the large calls (selectors) are going to should make now as properly.’
‘Do they give thought to opening the batting with Steve Smith, which is one thing that they may really take into consideration as properly, I believe, due to how properly he has accomplished in white ball cricket when he has opened the batting.’
‘(Smith) might be somebody that might be an anchor by this Champions Trophy on the high of the order. And you realize that with the shape that he’s in, he will make large runs.’
‘And Jake is the type of participant that if he does play at his greatest… he might win a event (for Australia). That’s what the Australians, I believe, can be saying. The coaches can be saying that to him. We’ll see which method they determine to go initially of the event,’ he concluded. (ANI)
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