Steve Smith offers an outside-the-box replacement for David Warner as opener for Australia’s test side

Problem-solving at the crease is what gets Steve Smith out of bed; problem-solving at the top of the order could put a spring in his step and even extend his career.

Steve Smith could be the answer for Australia to replace David Warner at the top of the order.

The one name that hasn’t arisen in all the talk of re-engineering a middle-order player to replace David Warner is one who might be more open to the idea than you’d think: Steven Peter Devereuux Smith.

It just might work.

Think about it, Smith has not been the same since he moved Marnus Labuschagne up to No.3 and himself down a rung.

He had a great average at first drop (67), he is 34 and there is a sense he does not have a lot of time left in the game and his returns have diminished in the past few years.

Moving up the order would give him the sort of challenge that might stimulate him in his last years and even extend his career a little bit. Problem-solving at the crease is what gets him out of bed; problem-solving at the top of the order could put a spring in his step.

The only reason there’s talk about creating an opener from within the current group is that it allows Cameron Green to come into the side with Mitchell Marsh.

That’s a generational talent sitting on the sidelines. If Smith moves up it sets up cricket for the next few years. Labuschagne is in his forever home at No.3, Green can start building his at No.4, Travis Head can keep throwing parties at his beach house and you’ve got Alex Carey and Marsh firmly established at the end of the street.

Shane Watson threw up this idea at an event in the Inner West earlier in the week.

“Cameron Bancroft has put the runs on the board, no question, he has scored a truckload of runs and the weight of runs should mean he gets selected, but Cameron Green, I think, is the best thing since sliced bread,” said the man who was re-engineered as an opener by Ricky Ponting.

“For a young guy coming in, the skills he’s got, the runs he has scored in Shield cricket, he just needs a bit more time and he will work it out for sure. He knows how to bowl, he got a Boxing Day five-for and that doesn’t happen very often.”

Smith signs autographs for the crowd on the first day of the Sydney Test, Warner's last test match.

And then the fact he is an elite-level fielder in the gully region. Possibly the best in the game.

“He has to find his way in,” Watson continued. “When Dave Warner retires he has to find his way in and there’s talk that Marnus Labuschagne will open, but I like, knowing the person, the idea of Steve Smith opening.

“The reason why is that No.3 is the perfect position for him. When he’s the man, he feels like he is the one who has to score the bulk of runs for his team and when he was in his most prolific period, which was a long period of time, most of it was batting at No.3.

“When he was at No.3 he came in with the mind set of ‘I am the guy who has to get us into position’, he was scoring runs for fun but when he comes in at four often the work’s been done and finding motivation is more challenging for him.

“Steve Smith opening the batting, he has got the technique, is the challenge he needs.

“My concern is that if Steve Smith isn’t given a challenge he might shut things down earlier than he needs.”

Cameron Green is another being considered to replace the unique Sydneysider.

Coach Andrew McDonald indicated earlier in the week that they were open to refashioning an opener if they did not go with the traditional candidates – which included Bancroft, Marcus Harris and Matthew Renshaw.

“All angles will be considered. There’s four people that are being discussed, and they’ll be the ones who are taking up our time as we lead into that West Indies game,” McDonald said on ABC Radio.

“In the last 30 years, I think there’s been 30-odd openers, and 50 per cent of them have come from a non-traditional opening background. If that’s anything to go by, there is the potential to be able to rejig your order.

“That’s not to dismiss the value of a tried and tested opener who’s done it over a period of time. We’ll consider all those options and angles and work out what that looks like for us.”