- Further test of Steve Smith’s leadership:
During the ODI series against Sri Lanka last year, an interesting aspect came to the fore as skipper Steven Smith left the assignment mid-way after two ODIs and returned home. The upcoming year is bound to pose further challenges as an away tour on Indian shores will be the ultimate test of Smith’s leadership. That will be followed by the ICC Champions Trophy in England, which will be Smith’s second assignment as Australia’s captain in an ICC event. He cannot afford to look helpless, like he did in 2016, else his side is headed for a further slide southwards.