Mitchell Johnson: Steve Smith is the obvious solution at No.3 and should be told that's where he's batting

West Australian

a day ago

Throughout my Test career, there were numerous times when I had to step into a different role because it was the best thing for the team.
At times that would mean bowling in situations that didn't always suit me personally. But you do it for the team.
Mitchell Starc and I weren't the ideal combo in the Australian Test team. We were both attacking bowlers, and we could easily go for runs because of that.
When Starc was early in his career, he really thrived with the new ball and the older ball that reversed. The new ball allowed him to swing it and capitalise on those early conditions.
I also wanted the new ball to grab early wickets. But I knew I was versatile enough to bowl first or second change and being a senior player, I also understood what the team needed.
I didn't rely on the swinging ball like Starc did back then, so from a team perspective, I was more than happy to adapt my role. Although a swinging ball was always helpful if you could get it!
Being a senior player doesn't mean that you always get what you want. And it's time Steve Smith was told he needs to bat at No.3 on his return from injury because that's what's best for the team.
Marnus Labuschagne has been discarded and all-rounder Cam Green has not shown anything at first drop to indicate it will be a success.
Here's a thought: instead of any more experiments, how about we place our best batsman at No.3.
Smith has proven he can handle the pressure; after all, he opened for the team before dropping back to four - with both moves at his preference.
Then we could bring back Nathan McSweeney at four, leave Travis Head at five, and choose between all-rounders Green and Beau Webster at six based on their current form.
Let's keep the faith and support our young guns while holding our experienced players accountable.
Particularly young talents such as Sam Konstas. It's baffling how quickly opinions can shift. Just a short while ago, fans and media were raving about his potential after his Boxing Day performance, dubbing him the future of Australian cricket.
Now, after a tough outing against the West Indies in his first overseas Test —his third Test match, no less—he's facing an avalanche of criticism. Why the double standard?
It was the same with Cooper Connolly after his Test debut in Sri Lanka. Connolly was nervous and didn't play his best cricket, but was smashed by cricket followers and the media for the way he played.
Let's think about seasoned players such as Labuschagne, who hadn't been at the top of his game for the past 18 months. Why didn't he face the same scrutiny? Usman Khawaja is in a similar boat.
There seems to be an imbalance in how we discuss players' performances for Australia and the new guys are always easy targets. They are fair game, yet any criticism of an established player is met with backlash.
It's perplexing that we focus heavily on the failures of a few Test matches for young players while overlooking the struggles of established ones.
It would be tough for McSweeney to miss out on a perfect opportunity in the West Indies to get some experience before an Ashes series but all he can do is be ready for that chance, play Sheffield Shield and score runs.
The new players need time and a bit of patience from everyone. Sure, they have a job to do — to score runs — but they also deserve a little breathing space, especially if we've been lenient with the more experienced players.
Let's support our emerging talents and give them the space to grow into their roles.
Of course, the senior core of the Australian team find a way to get the job done most of the time and the bowlers, led by Josh Hazlewood's 13th career five-for, sliced through the Windies to finish the first Test inside three days after the Aussies conceded a first-innings lead.
While Australia have gone 1-0 up, I stand by my argument for the need for a blend of youth to come through at a time like this.
We know these great players will bowl their last ball in Test cricket or mark centre for the last time at some point. It's part of the game and Australia will always fight to win in all situations, that's why the blooding process is vital.
Throughout Australia's cricketing history there have been drop-offs after generations of greats have retired, and it took some time to build the team back up.
There will always be times of rebuilding, but what you don't want is too many players departing at the same time, leaving too much of a gap to fill. That is also on the selectors to make tough yet professional decisions.