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Australia news – Michael Clarke: Steven Smith would be No. 1 opener in the world in 12 months

Former Australia captain Michael Clarke believes that Steven Smith would become the best opening batter in the world if he was given the task of replacing David Warner, but still sees Cameron Green as the likelier route the selectors will take.

The squad for the first Test against West Indies will be named on Wednesday and will mark the start of a new era following Warner’s Test retirement. The narrative around who could replace him has shifted from a specialist opener – one of Cameron Bancroft, Marcus Harris or Matt Renshaw – to finding a way to accommodate Green.

“If he [Smith] wants to open the batting and they give him the chance, he’ll be the No. 1 Test opener within 12 months,” Clarke told ESPN’s Around The Wicket show. “He’s that good a player. If you can bat at three you can bat anywhere in the order. Technically he’s good enough, lets the ball go well, he’s got a great eye, got beautiful hands.

“Yes, he might nick the occasional one or might get lbw but tell me someone who doesn’t. So if he opens the batting he’ll be the best opener within 12 months. [And] don’t be surprised if he breaks Brian Lara’s 400 record because he’s that good and now he’s got the whole day.”

But, following Cummins’ comments about how the batting order is successful in their current positions, Clarke can see Green being parachuted in at the top as the outcome.

“It sounds from what Patty says, he wants the least amount of disruptions as possible. Marnus has been brilliant, Smith’s four, Travis Head five, Mitch Marsh six. So that tells me that Cameron Green at this stage is probably the likeliest to come in and opening the batting.”

Smith has never opened in Test or first-class cricket, but former Australia batter Callum Ferguson was of little doubt that he could make a success of it

“I think he would prepare himself as well as anyone to open the batting if he decided he wanted to do that,” he told the show. “I’ve always been in the camp that you need a specialist opening batter but if it was Steve Smith coming to you and saying I want to open the batting, I think he’s looking for a challenge, that next motivation and inspiration I his career, and honestly if he took to that job I think he’d do it better than anyone else.”

Should the selectors opted for Smith or Green there have been questions raised about what it would mean for the Sheffield Shield given that Bancroft has been the leading run-scorer in the last two seasons and could still be overlooked.

“I think the selectors have always been really clear with Shield cricket being the ground they want guys to go back and perform in,” Bancroft said on Sunday. “There’s plenty examples of guys who have gone back and done that. I’m sure that’ll be a big part of what they’re looking at when they make that decision at the end of the day.”

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