Cricket Australia’s Smith has no full-time captaincy ambitions

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Steve Smith has no ambitions to be Australia’s full-time captain again, the 33-year-old said after leading the team to a nine-wicket win in the third Test against India on Friday.

Smith led Australia from 2014 to 2018 before being stripped of the honor following a ball-tampering scandal in South Africa.

He continues to deputize for Pat Cummins since the pacer became Test captain in November 2021 and has since stepped in three times to lead Australia.

Cummins returned home after the second Test to be with his ailing mother and Smith was tasked with scripting a turnaround in Indore after their back-to-back defeats in Nagpur and Delhi.

Smith didn’t let his side down and proactively led Australia to a nine-point rout in three days, which also confirmed their place in June’s World Cup final.

While Cummins is expected to return before the fourth and final Test in Ahmedabad next week, it will depend on the medical situation at home in Sydney.

Smith said he had no ambitions to return as full-time captain at any point.

“My time is up. It’s Pat’s team now,” Smith told reporters after inflicting India’s third defeat at home in their last 46 Tests dating back to 2012.

“Obviously I’ve been able to hold on this week, obviously in difficult circumstances, with Patty going home. Our thoughts are still with him at home.

“But India is a part of the world that I love as a captain… it’s probably my favorite place to be a captain.”

Smith marshalled his attack in bursts, took a superb catch at leg slip to remove Cheteshwar Pujara at the crucial stage and looked overall the leader in a tense, low-scoring contest.

Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden was among those impressed by Smith’s “inspired” captaincy in Indore.

“You could tell he was right in the match. He’s been great. Tactically in place, ready for the challenge,” Hayden said in his comments.

(Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; Editing by Himani Sarkar)