Steve Smith Should Remain Captain Even if Michael Clarke Returns, Says Ian Chappell

Former Australian skipper Ian Chappell backs Steve Smith to lead Australia in the long-term, and wants the management to retain him as skipper even when Michael Clarke returns from injury. (Scorecard | Day 2 Blog)

Clarke was ruled out of the Test series vs India after the Adelaide Test due to a hamstring injury and the 25-year-old Smith was named 'stand-in skipper' for the remainder of the series. (Murali Vijay 'Forgot' he scored a 100)

"Michael Clarke is probably going to struggle to make the Caribbean. He [Smith] could be captain for quite a while now. And if he does a decent job I don't think Michael Clarke should be given the job back. I think he should keep it," Chappell said on Channel Nine. (Brad Haddin's wicketkeeping record)

Clarke himself admitted that he may have played his last game for Australia in Adelaide but a successful surgery on his troublesome hamstring on Wednesday could still give him hopes of a return. (Dhoni has shown intent in Brisbane: Gavaskar)

Chappell is worried by the history of Clarke's back and hamstring and reckons it will not be good for Australian cricket to be making frequent changes to captaincy.

"I don't think you can be chopping and changing captains. And then you've got the other problem if Michael Clarke does come back, his injury history now is so bad, as a selector you'd be very worried that he's there for one and gone for a couple," Chappell said.

The 25-year-old Smith, who became the third youngest skipper in the history of Australian cricket after Ian Craig and Kim Hughes, may lack the experience but Chappell feels he's ticked all the boxes to take over on a permanent basis.

"I always thought about 27 was right because you're then more mature as a person. You've generally, in an Australian side, played a lot of cricket so you've had experience in a variety of conditions and you've established yourself as a player and won the respect of your teammates as a player. Twenty-five is a little younger than that but he's done all those things," Chappell said.

Chappell felt Clarke should take a cue from his predecessor Ricky Ponting to give up captaincy and be part of the team as a specialist batsman.

"If Smith is doing a good job you just say 'right, we'll stick with him and have Michael Clarke as a player'."

Smith, leading Australia in the three Tests against India, has a good opportunity to impress the selectors if he manages to help his side win the series. The hosts are already 1-0 up in the four-match series.