Steve Smith Can Break Brian Lara's 400 Record: Michael Clarke Backs Batter To Replace David Warner's Opening Slot

Given his success across different positions, there is optimism that Smith can excel as an opener believes Michael Clarke.

Steve Smith should open for Australia believes Clarke.

With David Warner retiring from Test cricket for Australia, the coaching staff of the team have a huge headache to fill in the space which has been held by the left-hander for 13 years. Obviously, one cannot find Warner's replacement in one night but former Australia captain has suggested a name with utter confidence. Michael Clarke has suggested Steve Smith's name as an opener and said that he could even break Brian Lara's record of 400 runs in one innings.

"I'll tell you now about Steve Smith. If he wants to open the batting and they give him the chance, he will be the No. 1 Test opener within 12 months. He is that good a player. He is technically good enough, he lets the ball go well, he's got a great eye, he's got beautiful hands. Yes, he might nick the occasional one, he might get LBW but tell me someone that doesn't. He is that good a player, and maybe it is the challenge he is looking for," the former Australia captain. (Virat Kohli In Middle, Shubman Gill-Rohit Sharma To Open: Sanju Samson Over Jitesh Sharma; India's Probable Playing 11 Vs Afghanistan - In Pics)

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? STEVE SMITH FALLS TO MIR HAMZA. THE TRAP WORKED  #AUSvsPAKpic.twitter.com/2UQvKebvRe

 Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) January 5, 2024

Out of his impressive tally of 9500 Test runs, Steve Smith has amassed nearly 6000 runs while batting at No. 4, maintaining an outstanding average of 61.51. Smith's versatility is evident as he has also performed reasonably well at No. 3, with 1744 runs scored at an impressive average of 67.08 across 11 innings. Remarkably, even in positions 5 through 8, Smith maintains an average of over 45, showcasing his adaptability and proficiency across various batting slots. (Heinrich Klaasen Announces Retirement From Test Cricket: A Look At His Numbers In Red-Ball Format)

Given his success across different positions, there is optimism that Smith can excel as an opener. However, the prospect of surpassing Brian Lara's monumental record seems challenging at this stage. Lara's historic 400 not out against England in 2004 is widely regarded as the greatest Test record of all time. Michael Clarke's expressed confidence in Smith's abilities to thrive as an opener speaks volumes about the trust placed in Australia's current No. 4 batsman.