Seven contenders for Aussie ODI captaincy

After Steve Smith announced on Friday that he’ll miss Australia’s one-day international tour of New Zealand, attention immediately turned to who will replace him as captain for the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy series.

Quick Single: Smith ruled out of NZ tour

Smith’s deputy David Warner had already been pencilled in for a rest during the three-match series beginning January 30, with selectors confirming earlier this week the vice-captain would benefit from a quick break ahead of Australia’s Test tour of India later next month.

Quick Single: Warner rested for Chappell-Hadlee series

With those two players ruled out, Australia’s former T20 skipper Aaron Finch and gloveman Matthew Wade have been tipped, from a reasonably wide field of candidates, as the front-runners to take the reins in New Zealand.

With selectors convening today to decide on Smith’s replacement in the ODI squad, we’ve taken a look some of the possible contenders to become Australia’s 24th ODI captain.

Aaron Finch

Recalled to the ODI squad after being left out for the VB series against Pakistan, Finch is the only member of the original squad for the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy series with international captaincy experience. He was Australia’s T20 captain between 2014 and 2016 – admittedly only a six-match stint – until he was replaced by Test and ODI skipper Smith ahead of last year’s World T20. The 30-year-old has plenty of leadership experience at domestic level, as the current captain of KFC Big Bash League outfit Melbourne Renegades while he has also led Victoria in the Sheffield Shield.

Travis Head

Appointed captain of South Australia aged just 21 nearly two years ago, Head took the Redbacks to their first Sheffield Shield final appearance in two decades last season. While he’s only finding his feet at international level, the left-hander’s maiden ODI century against Pakistan on Thursday more or less sealed his spot in Australia’s 50-over side for the near future. Now 23, and just one of two state skippers in the squad, Head could be in the mix to replace Smith.

Matthew Wade

The wicketkeeper-batsman has led Victoria to the last two Sheffield Shield titles and, from a domestic captaincy experience point of view, is perhaps the most qualified to replace Smith. While he’s only just reclaimed his spot in the Test side back from Peter Nevill, Wade has been entrenched in the ODI side since the retirement of Brad Haddin. He could become just the third wicketkeeper to lead Australia in an ODI, after Adam Gilchrist (17 matches) and Ian Healy (eight).

Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood

A specialist quick has never led Australia in an ODI but the leaders of the pace attack are both members of Australia’s leadership group, along with Smith and Warner. While both walk into Australia’s first-choice XI in the 50-over format, the selectors will be wary of keeping them fresh for India, meaning both could be in line to miss a game in the ODI series which would make it difficult for them to lead the side. The duo would seem to be only outside chances to be handed the captaincy but both Starc (63 matches) and Hazlewood (33) appear to have the necessary playing experience to take the reins.

Shaun Marsh

The 33-year-old has captained Western Australia five times in the Sheffield Shield but is only making an international return in this series following a finger injury. Don’t rule Marsh out completely but he’d be a surprise pick to be handed the captaincy.

George Bailey

Bailey of course wouldn’t become captain No.24; he is Australia’s 21st ODI skipper and has led Australia 29 times in the 50-over format. The 34-year-old also isn’t currently in the squad for the New Zealand tour, having lost his spot along with Finch for the five-match series against Pakistan. But coach Darren Lehmann insisted at the time of Bailey’s omission that his international career wasn’t over. And the Tasmanian has some experience in getting a captaincy call from the blue, having made his international debut as skipper of Australia’s T20 side in 2012. Another outside shot.