Adam Gilchrist, one of Australia’s most legendary wicketkeeper-batter, believes that skipper Steve Smith will be incredibly pivotal for Australia at the Champions Trophy. He has expressed the belief that Steve Smith should open the batting for Australia in Champions Trophy as it will be a viable option for the team. Although, he looks at Travis Head and Matt Short as the preferred opening combination, but stressed on Steve Smith coming out at the top of the order.
“It’s a challenging one at the moment – maybe Steve Smith needs to open up there,” Gilchrist said on ABC Summer Grandstand on Saturday.
“Obviously Travis is going to be there whenever he’s fit and fresh and they are picking whatever is their best team.”
“I like Matt Short being in there – that would be a nice combination left hand-right hand. That would be the preferable way for me to go. But I do think Steve Smith could open – we’ve seen him do it in T20 cricket really well.
“Maybe he’s too valuable in that middle order. I can’t see a reason why you wouldn’t want him facing as many balls as possible in a 50-over game – it would be a very viable option to get him up there.”
Australia, who will head into the Champions Trophy without the pace trio of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, are coming off a 0-2 series defeat against Sri Lanka in the recently-concluded two-match series. They will take on England in their first match of the Champions Trophy on February 22 at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.