WHY SMITH CANNOT BE CAPTAIN

TEST great Greg Chappell has warned Australia of the pitfalls of reappointing Steve Smith as captain as Tim Paine faces a race to be fit for the Ashes.

Paine has not played since undergoing surgery on his neck in September, he remains upbeat about his chances but revealed on his morning radio program on Friday that he has just begun to train.

Smith (pictured) was axed from the captaincy following the ball tampering affair in South Africa in 2018.

In his new book, Not Out (Hardie Grant), Chappell reveals his concerns which centre upon Smith’s mindset rather than any lingering stigma from the ball tampering scandal.

“In a way, Steve does not channel his batting talent; his batting talent channels him,’’ Chappell wrote.

“That, I think, is a huge factor in any deliberations around whether Steve should return to the Australian captaincy.

“Steve lives for batting and for the contest with opposition bowlers and captains in a way that is only truly attained by very few. So much so that sometimes it might even detract from his ability to live the rest of his life – certainly that was the impression I got when I saw how wrung out he had become by the time Australia had won the Ashes in Perth in late 2017.

“He might appear the best candidate on a few levels, but the question needs to be asked about whether it is in his interests and the team’s interests, because the need to shift focus to the many demands of captaincy will limit his batting and his longevity in the game.

“Not least because as captain, Steve will feel – not initially, but definitely over time – that batting becomes a task to be accomplished rather than a fun challenge to be enjoyed. We saw instances of that during his first stint in leadership, when the joy he experiences while batting seemed to leave him at times. And that is another essential quality for the best of batsmen all through history.”

Chappell told The CourierMail he felt vice-captain Pat Cummins was capable of

handling the position even though Australian selection panels have been loath to appoint fast men because of their heavy workload.

“It’s a tough job whoever does it, the accepted wisdom had been that it was too hard for wicket keepers but Tim Paine’s done okay,” Chappell said. “Pat is eminently capable of doing it. The best person for the job should get it and if that’s Pat they should give it to him.”

Paine said he hoped to play a Sheffield Shield game before entering Australian camp for the first Test against England at the Gabba from December 8

“It’s nothing to worry about, just a bit of stiffness after a few months off. I’ve pulled up a bit sore, but yesterday was as I would train normally, so it’s a really good sign that I got through that and I’m looking forward to playing a game of cricket in the coming weeks,” Paine said on SEN.

“I’d like to get a club game in, followed by either a second XI or Shield game depending on the timing.”