Future leader of the baggy green

Who will fill David Warner’s shoes if the Australian vice-captain is suspended from the fourth Test?

Matt Renshaw is the leading contender to replace David Warner. Picture: AAP

Matt Renshaw is the leading contender to replace David Warner if the Australian vice-captain joins skipper Steve Smith in being suspended from the fourth Test in Johannesburg from Friday.

As the calls mount for Cricket Australia to come down hard on its ball tampering cricketers, significant changes for the fourth Test are on the cards.

There’s just one reserve batsman, Peter Handscomb, on the tour, and he’ll be needed to replace Smith.

So if vice-captain Warner is rubbed out then at least two other batsmen will be required.

Renshaw is the most logical candidate, but he’s playing in the Shield final in Brisbane.

He can be subbed out of the final day tomorrow but that would make a further mockery of the already marginalised Shield competition.

That might be small beer given recent events but the South African fiasco is reaching into every corner of the game.

A former national selector has told The Australian he hoped CA would “wield a large stick, not the limp lettuce leaf” of the ICC.

“The former captain’s comment that he wasn’t going to step down because, ‘I still think I’m the best man for the job’ reeks of the hubris that has infected the Australian cricket team in recent times,” the former selector said.

Tim Paine has replaced Steve as captain for the final Test in South Africa. Picture: Getty

“They are always talking about the spirit of cricket but they never respect it, merely offer it a sneaky, raised middle finger.

“Smith’s so-called leadership group and the naive, cocky (Cameron) Bancroft shouldn’t be offered the chance to play for Australia for at least 18 months, such is the damage they have inflicted on the baggy green.”

CA has drawn up plans to rush players to South Africa to replace anyone rubbed out by its ball tampering investigation.

The state associations are awaiting word from CA, which has planned for the logistics of scrambling replacements to Johannesburg.

Other possible replacement batsmen include Joe Burns, who’s also playing in the final, Glenn Maxwell, Travis Head and Hilton Cartwright.

Any bowlers implicated in the scandal and subsequently penalised can be replaced from within the squad. Seamers Jhye Richardson and Chadd Sayers are in the touring party, as is spinner Jon Holland.

CA’s integrity manager Iain Roy and high-performance manager Pat Howard have arrived in South Africa to investigate the debacle.

Given the public outcry and the short gap between Tests, they are under pressure to quickly report to the board, which will then hand down penalties for any cited players.

As well as interviewing Bancroft, Smith and the as yet unconfirmed members of the “leadership group”, Roy and Howard are expected to grill Darren Lehmann and probably bowling coach David Saker.

Saker’s predecessor as bowling coach, Craig McDermott, labelled the scandal “disgraceful” and a “shocking day for the baggy green”.

McDermott’s former pace partner Merv Hughes called for “harsh and swift punishments”.

“I love Steve Smith and what he has brought to the Aussie side,” Hughes tweeted.

“But (I) cannot condone his behaviour in this incident. I feel for him but in the same breath (I) am very angry with him.”

Jason Gillespie wrote in The Guardian that Smith’s captaincy was untenable.

“New leaders will rise up and take the side forward,” Gillespie wrote. “But it will not be Smith and it will not be Warner.”