Australia’s captain Steve Smith mentioned that he has not yet determined his batting order for the forthcoming Champions Trophy. He emphasized the players’ adaptability to bat in various positions within the lineup and highlighted the influence of dew conditions on the batting arrangement.
New Delhi: With Pat Cummins unavailable, Steve Smith will captain Australia in the 2025 Champions Trophy. Their first match will be against Ashes opponent England on February 22 at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Prior to the tournament, the experienced batsman expressed uncertainty regarding Australia’s batting lineup for the prestigious event.
Due to the absence of Mitchell Marsh and Marcus Stoinis in the middle order, Australia needs to modify their batting lineup. After experiencing consecutive losses to Sri Lanka earlier this month, the team is contemplating a new approach. Smith noted that the players are adaptable regarding their batting positions and indicated that the order may vary based on whether they are batting or bowling first.
“We’ll wait and see. It’s part of our discussions around flexibility and role-specific things throughout the tournament. One day I might be three, one day I might be four – we’ll see. It might change from batting first to second as well, depending on what we want to do and what we’re chasing and what we’re trying to achieve,” Smith told cricket.com.au.
The 35-year-old emphasized the importance of dew in the second innings of a match. He intends to take this into account when determining the batting order, as he believes that players who frequently participate in T20 matches may perform better when facing wet balls.
“I think dew is going to be a huge part in the back end of the second innings, whether we want to load up the back end a little bit more. I know there’s five (fielders) out at that stage, but I think with a wet ball that kind of negates that in a way, particularly with guys that have played a lot of T20 cricket who know what they can do with five out when the ball’s skidding on nicely. There’s different scenarios that we can go down, but we’re going to be flexible and adaptable throughout,” said Smith.
