Former Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting is of the view that selectors should consider playing veteran player and stand-in skipper Steve Smith at the top. He feels Steve Smith should open the innings for Australia alongside Travis Head, who is certain to feature for Australia at the top of the order. Steve Smith, who usually bats at his conventional no.4 position, will take up an unfamiliar role if he happens to open the innings for Australia.  Australia will kick off their Champions Trophy campaign with the clash against England on Saturday at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. 

Heading into Champions Trophy, Australia are missing the services of experienced trio of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, who are out due to their respective reasons. Australia will commence their campaign with a vastly different squad that clinched the ODI World Cup title in 2023.

“Do they think about opening the batting with Steve Smith, which is something that they could actually think about as well, I think, because of how well he's done in white ball cricket when he has opened the batting,” Ponting said on the ICC Review. 

“(Smith) could be someone that could be an anchor through this Champions Trophy at the top of the order. And you know that with the form that he's in, he's going to make big runs.”

Steve Smith has never opened the innings for Australia in ODIs. However, he has shown his greatness at the top of the order in T20 cricket. He has delivered stellar innings for Sydney Sixers in Big Bash league. Meanwhile, the discussion surrounding opening position arises from the fact that young talent Jake Fraser-McGurk has been unable to impress, averaging just 14 from his seven innings he has played so far.  

“Yeah, he's making it harder and harder (for selectors to stick with Fraser-McGurk). He's not had the greatest of summers. I mean, there's just so much talent there. There's so much ability and skill and talent that we haven't sort of seen consistently enough just yet. And that's one of the big calls (selectors) are going to have to make now as well,” Ponting said.