Ponting's captaincy warning for Smith

Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting has warned Steve Smith of the perils of leading his country in all three formats following Smith's appointment as the Twenty20 captain this morning.

Ponting, who captained Australia a record 324 times in Test, one-day and T20 cricket, says Smith could struggle with the burden of leading Australia in all three forms, just as he did.

"The thing that might start taking its toll on Steve Smith is just how constant that role is now for him," Ponting told Melbourne radio station SEN.

"He’s only new into the Test captaincy really.

Watch: Smith reflects on being named T20 captain

"Now he’s captain of all three formats. I think it will catch up with him pretty quickly. It did with me, anyway."

Quick Single: Australia's World T20 squad announced

While Ponting is concerned about Smith’s workload, former Australia vice-captain Ian Healy is less worried that Smith will be affected by the T20 captaincy due to the lack of T20 matches on the international schedule.

"He's very capable of handling it and I think the team needs it right now,” Healy told cricket.com.au. "The T20 leadership is not a big thing outside of this year.

"This year with the World T20 there (are more matches) but Smithy will have the energy to get through that and I think, at the moment, the team will like that."

Watch: Smith speaks after final ODI against NZ

Smith played under previous T20 skipper Aaron Finch in the KFC T20 INTL series against India last month, but with the Victorian battling a hamstring injury ahead of next month’s ICC World T20 tournament in India, the Australian selectors decided that a change in leadership was necessary.

"We think now is the right time for Steve (Smith) to lead Australia in all three forms of the game as it offers us important continuity, not only ahead of the World T20, but beyond that tournament as well," National selector Rod Marsh said in Auckland today.

Ponting, who coaches Indian Premier League side Mumbai Indians, expected Finch to carry on leading the T20 team but suggested that his injury may have played a part in the selectors’ decision to appoint Smith.

Watch: Finch suffers injury against India

"I’m a little bit surprised that Finch is not captain," Ponting said.

"I’m not sure if his injury is worse than we think.

"He did the same (injury) with (the Mumbai Indians) in the IPL last year."

Australia have had a separate T20 captain from the Test and ODI skipper since Michael Clarke retired from the format in 2011 to concentrate on the five day and 50-over formats.

Cameron White and then George Bailey, who both missed selection for the upcoming World T20, led the team before Finch was appointed skipper in 2014.

The World T20 remains the only piece of major international silverware Australia have yet to win, and enter the tournament ranked eighth on the ICC International T20 rankings.