Australia's Captaincy Question in ODIs: 2022

Aaron Finch has stepped away from ODI Cricket leaving a huge question on who leads after him. While Australia has a lot of players who could step up to the role, each option comes with its own pros and cons. Nevertheless, Australia has a good amount of time before their next ODI announcement. There are some names though that are likely to come into consideration over the next few months.

Steve Smith

Steve Smith is eligible to lead, and there are no questions over him as an option. He lead the Test side in Adelaide when Pat Cummins was ruled out. Before his ban, Steve Smith was Australia’s captain across all formats as well, and he has experience leading the side. He is a pretty attentive cricketer as well and is a regular in the ODI side making him a prime candidate for the job.

David Warner

David Warner is known to have a really good cricketing brain. With Warner having a leadership ban though his situation is a little complicated. Aaron Finch has endorsed him as the next captain if Australia lift his ban, which is a topic that will be discussed next month. David Warner leading the side though will be a short term fix. He is already 36 and may not play much beyond the 2023 World Cup. If Australia are looking solely at the World Cup he is a good option.

Pat Cummins

Pat Cummins is leading the Test side and is doing a very good job as captain. He is a very reliable and resilient cricketer and will be perfect for the job. Workload though will be a huge concern if he is handed the job. As of now, Pat Cummins tends to take breaks when the ODIs are on, given his huge workload in other formats. Making him captain here will increase his workload and could result in further complications.

Alex Carey

Along with Steve Smith, Alex Carey is a pretty strong candidate to take over as captain. He is the vice-captain and has stood in before. Alex Carey though is not in the T20 side. If Finch decides to step down from T20Is after the World Cup Australia will be in a position where they have three captains for three formats.

See also: IND Squad for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup! – Cricket Winner

Glenn Maxwell

Glenn Maxwell is a fixture in the white-ball formats. He has been a part of the Australian side for a long time. Maxwell has also led in the BBL and IPL, highlighting his captaincy credentials. He is a game-changing player in the side and has decent leadership qualities. However, Maxwell may be seen more as an experienced voice rather than the captain.

Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc

Like Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Starc are regulars in all three formats. Pat Cummins though has proven that a fast bowler can be a very good leader. In Hazlewood’s case, he is one of the leading bowlers in white-ball cricket. He is undroppable in the format and is likely to play most games leading up to the World Cup.

Mitchell Starc too is an important player, but he may be rested a little more than Hazlewood. While both players are very experienced and are fixtures in the side, their selection as captains would be very left-field.

Adam Zampa

Adam Zampa is probably the last options on the list. Zampa though is a regular in the side and is probably the leading spinners in the world at the moment. He is a valued player in the squad and could make it to the role, but that seems way to unlikely.