Former Australia cricketer David Warner backed Steve Smith to deliver in the upcoming Ashes series against England that is set to begin from November 21. Notably, Smith will be leading the Baggy Greens in Pat Cummins' absence during the first Test that will be played at the Optus Stadium in Perth. Warner predicted the batter to score five centuries in the series after seeing him play a stunning knock of 118 runs for the New South Wales in Sheffield Shield.
“If Steve Smith can score big runs this summer, they’ll be fine. If Smith gets on a roll and starts scoring runs, it will be a challenge for England. I reckon he’s got five centuries in him. He only had one net session the other day and came out and scored a hundred today; that’s Steve Smith,' Warner told Fox Cricket.
Smith shines in Sheffield Shield
Smith began his preparations for The Ashes in style and played a remarkable knock in the Sheffield Shield against Queensland. His inning of 118 runs included 20 boundaries and a six, showcasing his fine form in red-ball cricket. With Cummins ruled out of the first Test, it remains to be seen if Smith will be able to make a positive return to captaincy.
Meanwhile, Warner further backed Smith to play Test cricket until 2027 and deliver for Australia in the next Border-Gavaskar series that will be played in India. Despite winning numerous accolades throughout his illustrious career, Smith is yet to win a Border-Gavaskar Trophy in India.
“The one thing missing for him is winning in India. He knows his body now, he knows what he’s capable of – if he wants to get to that Indian series, he will," Warner stated.
Australia yet to announce Ashes squad
On the other hand, while Australia are yet to announce their squad for The Ashes, England have already done so and have decided to go for a pace-heavy bowling attack. They have chosen a total of seven seamers in the team and have also gone for two spin options in Shoaib Bashir and Jacob Bethell. It remains to be seen if the Three Lions will be able to finally register their first Ashes Test victory in Australia since 2011 with this team.
England's squad for The Ashes: Ben Stokes (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Mark Wood.