Legends rip into Smith
MAHELA Jayawardene has joined the list of past players who have questioned captain Steve Smith’s decision to quit Australia’s one-day tour of Sri Lanka with three matches left.
Sri Lanka’s former Test skipper Jaywardene said the decision was a surprise, with the five-match series level at one-all.
“Surprised to see Smith going back home to prepare for SA tour when this one is not finished. Would any other @CricketAuscaptain done this?” Jayawardene said on Twitter.
Former Test batsman Dean Jones tweeted that if Smith had returned home for a rest before the one-day series had even started, it would have given deputy David Warner “a better chance at captaincy”.
Jones added the hashtag “#headscratching”.
Michael Clarke, the man Smith replaced as Test captain, was also puzzled by Australia’s mid-series move, announced on Thursday.
Smith will be rested from three one-day games and two Twenty20 clashes, before Australia’s one-day series in South Africa next month.
“I would have liked to have seen the captain play until the series was won and then have a rest,” Clarke said on Twitter.
“If Smithy needed a break then he should have flown home after the Test matches not 2xODIs in.”
Former Test opening batsman Michael Slater said that he didn’t understand the call. “The captain should be there to the end!” Slater said on Twitter.
Smith’s absence at No.3 in the one-day side is expected to bring Shaun Marsh back into calculations for tomorrow’s third game, in Dambulla.
Dumped Test No.3 Usman Khawaja, who had a long conversation with chief selector Rod Marsh on Wednesday night at Colombo’s Premadasa Stadium after being left out of Australia’s Twenty20 squad, is also a contender to return to the one-day side.
Middle-order batsman Moises Henriques has looked all at sea against spin, scoring six and four.
Sri Lanka was buoyed by its 82-run win in Wednesday’s second game in Colombo. The home side will be further motivated in tomorrow’s third match by the occasion of veteran opener Tillkaratne Dilshan’s swan song.