Steve Smith admits he has “no idea” where he will bat in the first Test against India later this year, after some of his Australian teammates called for the scoring machine to be moved further down the order after a few games as the opening batsman.
The experienced batsman moved to the top of the rankings following David Warner’s retirement at the end of the Pakistan series earlier this year.
He made 171 runs in eight innings against the West Indies and then New Zealand, but had only one half-century and averaged just 28.25, well below his career average of 56.97, which put him at the bottom of the batting order.
But Smith, who turned 35 in June, insists he is comfortable wherever he is needed, although Usman Khawaja said last week he is best using the Test legend at No. 4.
“I have no idea,” he said at an event at Sydney’s Matraville Public School after signing a new three-year deal to stay with the Sixers.
“The discussions I’ve had so far are that we’ll go to England and the boys will play the T20s and then I’ll be there for the one-day games and we’ll make a decision after that.
“These conversations are happening in the background. I saw some comments from Usman and I think he said he likes me at No. 4 and I think Marnus has a similar thought pattern.
“I’m happy anywhere and will bat anywhere for the team. For me it’s just a position.”
“If I’m batting fourth, I could be in after the first two balls. I’ve been in early many times and got the new ball early, so for me it’s just a number.
“It’s not something I can interpret, so I just go out and play my game, which I’ve been playing for a long time.”
While his batting position in Tests is still uncertain, Smith has shone as an opener in the shortest form of the game, recently scoring 88 for the Washington Freedom in the final to help them win the Major League Cricket title in the United States.
Smith is likely to reprise that role with the Sixers when he joins them later this summer at the end of his Test commitments. The Australian star scored two centuries in BBL|12 during his guest appearance for the Men in Magenta.
“I enjoyed playing in T20 cricket, especially batting at the top level for the Sixers there, and batting at the top level in the MLC was great too,” he said.
“I think it suits my style of play to open the batting. The few opportunities I’ve had in franchise cricket, I think I’ve done pretty well.
“Hopefully at some point I can do that a bit more with another cricket franchise around the world, but we will wait and see.”
With his future in the BBL now clear, attention is now turning to Smith’s international plans, and there is constant speculation that he could call it quits at any time.
But the 35-year-old dodged questions about his future, with the Test veteran focusing on the historic five-match series against India later this year.
“I have no plans. I’m just enjoying playing at the moment. I’m pretty relaxed and looking forward to this summer,” he said.
“I think India will be a big challenge. I think we are the two best teams in the world at the moment and we will play against each other in five Tests, which is a first for us.”
