Sandpaper sin rubbed out as Smith in favour

AUSTRALIA will draw a line in the sand on the scars of Sandpapergate once and for all as it addresses the fine print of its new leadership plan.

Pat Cummins and Steve Smith were interviewed by a Cricket Australia panel on Wednesday and are firming towards being announced as the new leadership duo.

Cummins is all but certain to be named Test captain but his status as a fast bowler – where he could occasionally be rested from the side – means the scope of Smith’s likely role as a vice-captain must be clearly defined.

A specially convened CA panel of selectors – George Bailey, Tony Dodemaide, Mel Jones, Richard Freudenstein and chief executive Nick Hockley – must ask this: If Cummins is out of the side, does Smith take over as caretaker captain or is he a permanent vice-captain?

CA’s board earlier this year told selectors that they had official permission to nominate Smith to a leadership position once more, following a determination that he should not be subjected to “double jeopardy” over the 2018 Sandpapergate incident in South Africa.

Smith returning to the Australian captaincy would polarise opinion, but online polls have indicated public support has shifted in his favour.

It’s understood the feeling expressed by the CA board earlier this year was that Smith has already served a heavy two-year ban from leadership positions, and if nominated by selectors to return to the captaincy or vicecaptaincy he should be offered a clean slate.

On this basis, it would appear the board has come to peace with the concept of Smith captaining Australia again, something that could potentially happen during the Ashes summer.

With only two candidates – Cummins and Smith – nominated for interview, it’s not clear who could stand up to the captaincy in the event of a Cummins absence.

If it is not Smith, Marnus Labuschagne is considered too green and the likes of Usman Khawaja and Travis Head are still fighting for Tesselection.

But the framework of a Smith vice-captaincy appointment will have to be thoroughly talked through by the panel, which will make a final recommendation to the CA board on both leadership positions ahead of a possible announcement on Friday.