'When Michael made his decision to retire last week it was a very straight forward decision for us to nominate Steve as his successor’
‘He is highly regarded by the selectors and we congratulate him on being appointed to the role on an ongoing basis. He should be incredibly proud’
Steven Smith will be the next captain of Australia's Test team following Michael Clarke’s retirement at the end of the fifth Ashes Test at The Oval.
Cricket Australia announced on Friday that the 26-year-old will also take on the captaincy of the national Twenty20 team in the United Kingdom while Aaron Finch recovers from injury.
Opening batsman David Warner will serve as Smith’s deputy in the Test and One-day international teams.
The 28-year-old will be vice-captain in the upcoming series of One-day internationals in Ireland and the UK followed by Australia’s Test series against Bangladesh in September-October.
National selector Rod Marsh said the appointments were made with an eye to the future
“We have had a clear succession plan in place for the captaincy with Steve Smith gaining valuable experience leading the Australian Test team while Michael Clarke was recovering from injury last season,” said Marsh, praising Smith’s performance over the summer when he became Australia’s 45th Test captain in Clarke’s absence.
“When Michael made his decision to retire last week it was a very straight forward decision for us to nominate Steve as his successor.
“He has big shoes to fill but everything about him suggests he is the right man for the job. At 26, he is a fine young man with extraordinary talent, excellent leadership qualities and a terrific temperament.
“He is highly regarded by the selectors and we congratulate him on being appointed to the role on an ongoing basis. He should be incredibly proud.”
Marsh said Warner was chosen to support Smith in the Test and One-day international area.
“We have reached a point in time where we’ve had to look at our leadership positions again with an eye to the future,” Marsh said.
“David has matured and developed into an important senior figure in the Australian team. He has come a long way.
“He had valuable experience captaining the Sunrisers in the IPL earlier this year and we are confident he will provide strong support to Steve as his deputy.
“We believe that he will respond well to the added responsibility of leadership.”
The appointment was recommended by CA’s National Selection Panel at Cricket Australia’s August board meeting.
