Matthew Wade bats for Smith’s captaincy

Wade took over the captaincy reins for the second T20 against India here on Sunday after Aaron Finch picked up an injury in the opening game in Canberra.

Sydney: Australia’s stand-in T20 skipper Matthew Wade on Monday said batting mainstay Steve Smith, who has “plenty of say” in how the team is driven on the field, would do a “great job” if he is given the leadership role again.

Wade took over the captaincy reins for the second T20 against India here on Sunday after Aaron Finch picked up an injury in the opening game in Canberra.

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Asked about Smith, who lost the captaincy role because of his role in the 2018 ball-tampering scandal, Wade said the team has a lot of options and they include the batting star.

“We have so many good leaders, I have been given the captaincy but we have got Smith, we have got Moises (Henriques), who captains his BBL team. We have guys with a lot of experience, there is a lot of discussions among the seniors but we are all working together,” Wade said.

“It is not me driving the field, obviously Finchy (Aaron Finch) is our captain and we all all work together when he plays well. So Smith has a plenty of say, he has been a great captain for long time and he will do a great job if he gets an opportunity,” he added.

Speaking about himself, the late bloomer said he has become a completely different player since forcing his way back into the team in 2019, two years after being axed.

The 32-year-old was dropped from Australia’s Test and T20 sides on the eve of the 2017-18 Ashes but he regained his place for the Ashes last year after piling up runs in the 2018-19 season for Tasmania and Hobart Hurricanes.

“Yes, I’m 32, and I’ve been around a long time, but I see myself as a completely different player. Matthew Wade, the guy that played as wicketkeeper-batter, is a completely different player than the one that’s been playing the last three years,” Wade said.

“I almost feel like I restarted my career a couple of years ago, debuting at 30,” added the player, who smashed a thrilling fifty in the second T20I.

Australia lost the first two T20Is to concede the three-match series. Star India all-rounder Hardik Pandya smashed two sixes in the last over to hand the hosts a six-wicket loss in their last outing.

“When you lose two T20Is, you review and India are a terrific T20 side, they have just come off the IPL as well, really locked into that format, so we were beaten by a better team,” Wade said.

“We played some reasonable cricket last night, we were in the hunt right up to the last over, it could go one or two ways but unfortunately Hardik was in and he clears the ropes easily.”

Wade was run out after India skipper Virat Kohli dropped a sitter during the second T20I. Talking about the dismissal, Wade said he deserved to be dismissed at that point.

“I saw Virat fumble the first time but then I didn’t see the ball coming out the second time, I thought he must have caught him … once I saw the second one go in, I started to walk off. Smith actually called out to me but it was too late. I should have been out anyway,” he said.