Australian Test skipper Pat Cummins has revealed why Steve Smith was overlooked for the T20 World Cup squad – despite describing his recent form as ‘phenomenal’.
Smith, 36, was arguably the best batter in the recent Big Bash with 299 runs at 59.80 from six knocks, but it wasn’t good enough to get him into the national T20 side.
Selectors prefer Mitch Marsh and Travis Head as the openers – the position Smith batted in during the Big Bash.
If he was to play in the XI, it would have been down the order and Cummins told 9News Sydney the likes of Cameron Green, Matt Renshaw, Tim David, Cooper Connolly, Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis were the preferred options in the middle order.
Renshaw’s form in the recent 3-0 series defeat against Pakistan was poor with scores of just 15, 2 and 1 while batting in the middle order.
‘He’s (Smith) been unbelievable. What he did at the back end of the Big Bash was phenomenal but Matt Renshaw’s also done really well,’ Cummins said.
Steve Smith was snubbed from the Aussie T20 World Cup squad despite excellent form in the Big Bash with the Sydney Sixers
Pat Cummins said other players were preferred to Smith in the middle order, including Matt Renshaw and youngster Cooper Connolly
‘It’s a bit of a different role to where Steve normally plays. What it takes to bat at five or six, you’re trying to go from the first ball of your innings, it’s very different to walking out there and opening with only two fielders out.
‘No doubt, the really good players are adaptive and can almost bat anywhere, but it’s a pretty strong batting line-up when you look at all the different roles.’
Cummins also won’t feature in the World Cup due to a back injury, but insists he still has a future in the shorter forms of the game.
‘I don’t feel like I need to make any call on one of the formats,’ he said.
‘Some years it might be more one-day cricket…for example next year we have an ODI World Cup, so it might be more one-dayers than T20 focused. Test cricket is where I want to concentrate all my focus and then obviously ICC events like the one I’m missing here.’
National selector Tony Dodemaide confirmed Smith could still feature in the T20 World Cup if a player picked up an injury.
Australia will kick off its T20 World Cup campaign on February 11 when they face Ireland.
The tournament has had a rocky lead-up with Pakistan planning to boycott their match against India in Colombo on February 15.
Steve Smith was one of the best batters in the Big Bash and led his team to the final against the Perth Scorchers
Smith scored 299 runs at 59.80 from just six knocks in the recent Big Bash for the Sixers
It was in response to ICC’s decision to deny Bangladesh’s demands to move their matches to Sri Lanka over security fears.
Bangladesh was consequently cut from the tournament and replaced by Scotland.
Pakistan’s decision to not play against India will prove costly for the game given each match between India and Pakistan has an estimated value of around $358million.
In the meantime, Smith will play for Sialkot Stallionz in the Pakistan Super League which kicks off next month.
The team is coached by ex-Australian Test skipper Tim Paine, who was elated to have recruited a player of Smith’s class.
‘One of the all-time great players is a @PSLStallionz!!!’ Paine wrote on X.
‘Huge for our franchise and @thePSLt20.’
