Tim Paine backs Steve Smith's call to skip T20 World Cup if needed to be fit for Ashes

Australia’s Test captain Tim Paine has urged Steve Smith to not consider making an unnecessary early comeback into the game, considering the time available currently for recovery. Smith has been battling a tennis elbow issue in his left arm due to a change to his batting grip last summer. The batsman recently stated that he would be comfortable skipping the upcoming T20 World Cup in the UAE, if that meant ensuring peak fitness for the subsequent Ashes series later in the year. Paine has backed Smith’s call, hailing him as a professional who would take the right decision.

“He’s the best player in the world”

“He’s the best player in the world and you take the best player of any side out, it creates a bit of a hole so fingers crossed his elbow comes good. He’s been dealing with it for a while now and finds a way to get up, but as he gets older it probably gets a bit harder to keep pushing through it. So it’s important now we’ve got the time (in the playing schedule) that he takes that time, and tries to get one hundred per cent right, not just for the Ashes but to try and prolong his career for another four, five, six years. What’s important for me is that he (Smith) is fit to go, whether that’s at the T20 World Cup or for the Ashes,” said Paine as quoted by cricket.com.au.

“Obviously from a selfish point of view, I would love him to be one hundred per cent fit and if that means he misses that (T20 World Cup) tournament, then so be it. But I think Steve’s a professional, he’ll know where his body’s at and if he doesn’t feel like he’s right then he’ll make the right call,” he added.

Australia’s historic maiden Test against Afghanistan

The Australian team is set to take on Afghanistan in a historic maiden Test at home, which begins on November 27. However, the key members of the squad will miss out on the game in the longest format, if the national team reaches the final of the upcoming T20 World Cup.

COVID-19 regulations might further result in even lesser exposure to red-ball cricket, before the Australian team embarks on six Test matches across seven weeks.

“We’d like our T20 side to go as deep as they can in the tournament, so if they do it looks like a couple of weeks quarantine when they get home and it will probably be tight to be available for the (Afghanistan) Test match. But our players have come into an Ashes series in England before without any red-ball cricket, and if we have to do that then I think now in the professional era of international cricket guys can cope with it and do it really well. Internally and externally, we’ve been really clear on the two huge goals that are ahead – one of those is the T20 World Cup and the other one’s the Ashes – and we want all of our best players on the park for a majority, if not all of those tournaments, if we can,” said Paine.

“Can’t wait to have the Australian team down in Tasmania”

The Australian Test skipper will be playing his maiden Test in his home town, when Hobart’s Blundstone Arena hosts the Test match against Afghanistan.

“I’m a very proud Tasmanian so I can’t wait to have the Australian team down here. It’s where I grew up on the hill here watching David Boon and Ricky Ponting and I think it’s important that young Tasmanian cricketers and young Tasmanians are exposed to international players they can idolise. We’ve got Patrick Cummins, there’s going to be (Afghanistan’s) Rashid Khan, there’s going to be Steve Smith and David Warner so for Tasmanian kids and the Tasmanian public in general to get out and see world-class players like that is going to be awesome,” concluded Paine.