Cummins favourite to be Australia captain, Smith vice-captain: Mark Waugh

Despite not playing any cricket since their defeat at Gabba at the hands of India, Australian cricket has stayed in the limelight over the past few months. One of them is the recent revelation by Cameron Bancroft regarding the sandpaper episode of the Cape Town Test in 2018. The other one being who should take over captaincy once Tim Paine quits.

While Paine or Cricket Australia (CA) have made no announcement of his imminent retirement, many experts have already given their opinion on who they think should be the next Aussie skipper. Former Australia batsman Mark Waugh is the latest to weigh in on the subject. He reckons the next player to lead Australia will be either Steven Smith or Pat Cummins.

“I think when Tim Paine finishes, which could be after the Ashes, I think there are only two choices: Pat Cummins and Steve Smith,” Waugh told Fox Cricket’s Road to the Ashes Podcast.

Smith was banned for a year after the ball-tampering fiasco in 2018 and was barred from leading the side for two years. Smith has made a strong comeback since and is currently Australia's best batsmen. However, Cummins too has been phenomenal over the year and his rise in international cricket has been nothing short of tremendous.

Waugh reckons Cummins' rapid rise makes him the favourite to be named captain of the side.  “That’s our field of choices and I don’t think the selectors will steer too far clear of that.

“There are no other candidates from what I can see unless someone jumps out of the ground. But I’d say Pat Cummins is favourite to be captain, Steve Smith vice-captain,” he said.