Smith captaincy credentials rise

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AS Australia surveys its barren wasteland of leadership options, the much-maligned but late blooming Steve Smith is emerging as a potential future Test captain.

With Michael Clarke becoming a Test by Test proposition with his increasingly troublesome dodgy back, the focus is again on Australia's captaincy quandary post-Clarke.

If Clarke's back forces him to stand down from Tests in the short term, veteran Brad Haddin or allrounder Shane Watson would be stop-gap Test captains.

But neither is a long-term option with Haddin in the twilight years of his career while Watson, at 32, is the same vintage as Clarke.

The push for Smith, 24, is gathering steam and he has powerful forces in his corner including former Test captain Ricky Ponting who believes he has the mettle to be an Australian captain.

Smith, who captained NSW in the Ryobi Cup tournament, has only played 12 Tests but was one of the few Australian players to emerge from the winter's Ashes with his reputation enhanced.

Steve Smith continues his good form in the Ryobi Cup. Source: News Limited

Smith's unbeaten 138 in the final Test at the Oval is being considered as a turning point not only for him but also for the entire Australian team.

The youngster was often ridiculed in the early stages of his career after being picked as a legspinner for his Test debut against Pakistan in 2010.

But Australia has come to realise that he is a preciously talented batsman who can bowl a bit, rather than a specialist spinner.

The bottom line is there are very few likely future Test leaders apart from Smith.

Dave Warner had been shaping as a future Australian captain but his repeated bad boy antics, including when he punched England player Joe Root in a bar and was suspended before the start of the Ashes tour, have ruled him out.

Steve Smith goes the tonk on day five of the fifth Test. Source: AFP

Officials such as Cricket Australia boss James Sutherland, who initially backed Warner to be a future Australian captain, are now biting their tongues.

Other one-time candidates such as Phil Hughes and Usman Khawaja have had fluctuating performances and neither appears likely to be a future captain as they struggle just to make the Test side.

Smith, who was for a while perceived as being unable to bridge the gap between potential and performance, has made giant strides and now boasts a first-class batting average of 43.

He could yet become the Steven Bradbury of Australian Test cricket captains ... managing to stay on his feet while just about everyone else has fallen over.

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