Deputy Smith a good bet

CRICKET Australia has closely examined Steve Smith’s charity work and off-field contributions as part of a thorough character assessment of his leadership credentials.

The CA board has given selectors the green light to nominate Smith for either the captaincy or vice-captaincy, indicating he could be on the verge of returning to an official leadership role more than three years after he was sacked as the Australian skipper.

Pat Cummins is all but certain to be named Australia’s new Test captain this week, but there is warm support for Smith to be named his vicecaptain – a key role considered even more vital than usual given Cummins is a bowler.

Cricket Australia chairman Richard Freudenstein confirmed on the weekend that character checks would be carried out on the candidates, and CA sources have confirmed that process started earlier in the year, well before Tim Paine’s resignation.

Smith started working for radio presenter Gus Worland’s Gotcha 4 Life men’s suicide prevention charity during his two-year leadership ban.

He has also immersed himself in regular school visits and community programs since the Cape Town scandal.

News Corp understands Smith’s off-field growth is something Cricket Australia’s board sought to examine closely earlier this year as they did their due diligence ahead of a looming call over whether to welcome him back into a leadership role.

“It’s difficult work this work, really emotional work. It’s not easy at all,” said Worland of Smith’s contribution to his men’s charity. “The fact Steve has wanted to do it is huge and the fact he got so much confidence from the fact he could help save people’s lives, I have absolutely no doubt he has grown and become more confident through what he’s been through.”

Cummins was always the overwhelming favourite to take over from Paine. However, there’s a feeling that Paine’s issues have only firmed the view that the new captain must be Cummins, because bringing Smith back as skipper in yet another crisis for the game would be fraught.

The vice-captain for Australia’s first fast bowling captain since Ray Lindwall in the 1950s is going to be a crucial decision in its own right though, and it’s understood Smith, with his wealth of experience, would be warmly welcomed as deputy.

Freudenstein confirmed that Smith was in the mix for appointment.

“Steve Smith is one of the candidates that’s available for that role,” he said. “We’ve put in place a process for finding the next Australian captain that was going to take place over the summer in anticipation Tim would one day retire. We’re obviously accelerating that process.”

Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley said character on and off the field was a key criteria.

“This process will be expedited now but those values of respect, inclusion, of making the sport and making Australians proud, are absolutely going to be at the forefront of the criteria,” he said.