Steve Smith’s shift to opener is under a fierce microscope

Critics and fans alike are all starting to say the same thing about Steve Smith and his self-driven move to open the batting.

It was always a big call for a veteran batter to suddenly try a whole new position in the cauldron of Test cricket, even if that batter was Steve Smith.

Many thought his own call to move up the order and replace Dave Warner was ambitious or even downright foolhardy, with plenty of experts saying the Australian team hierarchy should’ve responded with a firm “no”.

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Others of course thought a man who has been among the best with the willow of his generation had earned the right to make the suggestion and would prove himself against the new ball.

We are now six Test matches into the experiment and so far, it hasn’t worked.

A near-matchwinning effort of 91 in the second Test against the West Indies was promising, but the results in New Zealand have been downright awful.

Steve Smith trudging from the field is becoming a more common occurrence. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

Smith’s technique is also coming under fire. (Photo by Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images)

So poor, in fact, Nathan Lyon (66 runs) and Pat Cummins (79) had better returns with the bat than Smith’s 51 total runs, which were only one more than Mitchell Starc.

Lyon’s effort even came in one less innings, after he didn’t bat in Monday’s successful run chase against New Zealand.

In the first Test, Smith managed a best score of 31 in the first innings and then a three-ball duck, followed by 11 and nine in the second Test, for an average of just 12.75.

Former Australian cricketer Xavier Doherty is one that thinks the experiment hasn’t worked and Smith, who has an overall average of 28.5 so far as an opener, is a much better option back at No. 4.

“I honestly think that Steve Smith in the middle order makes this batting order so much better,” Doherty said after day three of the second Test on ABC Grandstand.

“There are more questions than answers at the moment, but there were a lot of people that didn’t like Steve Smith opening the batting, and I’m starting to head that way.”

Nathan Lyon was among the Aussie players that made more runs than Smith in New Zealand. (Photo by Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images)

Former Australian captain Tim Paine agreed.

“To me, it looks a better side with (Smith) at No. 4,” he told SEN.

“Maybe it’s time to go to the specialist opener because we’ve seen Steve get out to balls he doesn’t usually get out to.”

Few batters actually fired against the Kiws, Cam Green – who has replaced Smith at No. 4 in the order – the only one to average over 50 in the series, thanks largely to his marvellous 174 in the first Test.

The fact Australia won both matches helps paper over some worrying cracks in the batting line-up, but all fans of the baggy green cap are looking somewhat anxiously towards next summer when India is coming to town for a five-Test series.

Australia simply can’t afford to have an opener making the sorts of scores Smith is producing against the new ball and while he certainly has the ability to fire once more, he will be well into his 35th year in that series.

The Aussies also play exactly zero Test matches between now and the Border-Gavaskar series starting in December.

The rumblings against the Smith trial as opener are getting much louder, particularly among cricket fans on social media.

There was a time when the best bowlers in the world dreamed of getting Steve Smith out LBW, and now is the time when every bowler can easily get him out LBW. How fast the night changes. 😢pic.twitter.com/vV8T97blRN

— Lubana Warriors (@LovepreetS49) March 10, 2024

The verdict isn’t quite yet out on Steve Smith as opener but the jury certainly is #NZvAus

— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) March 10, 2024

“This was never the right move. Opener is a specialist position,” was one post on X over his current form.

“He’s just not an opener and needs to face the facts,” wrote another.

“(Travis) Head should have opened, Smith opening was never a good idea,” wrote another.

“It is high time the AUS management convinces Steven Smith to give up his opener ambitions,” added a fourth.

All the while, Cameron Bancroft keeps scoring runs at Shield level and waits for another chance as a Test opener, which also hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“Bancroft is literally made for this role,” was another post on X. “He deserves it. Smith is better in the middle order and gives the batting line up just that much more reassurance.”

“What the hell more does Cameron Bancroft have to do to get a shot at opening?” added another. “Absolutely nuts.”

It’s getting hard to argue.