Clarke insists captaincy role won’t affect Smith’s batting

Sydney, Sept.17 : Former Australian skipper Michael Clarke has backed new skipper Steven Smith, saying that the latter will be comfortable with his batting even after his elevation to the top job ahead of his side’s Test series against Bangladesh.

The 34-year-old said that Smith is at his peak form right now and, therefore, it is the perfect time for him to spearhead the team,the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

According to Clarke, Smith is smart enough to manage both captaincy and his batting, adding that he hopes Australia would claim a series win over Bangladesh.

Smith recently displayed his batting prowess during the Ashes series against England, where he amassed 215 runs over eight hours in the Lord’s Test.

Australia will play two Tests against Bangladesh on October 9 and October 17 respectively. (ANI)