JUSTIN LANGER: Steve Smith should bat for Australia at No.4 against India in Perth Test Match

This week, Gideon Haigh and Pete Lalor invited me to a conversation on their podcast Cricket, Ecetera.

Two cricket journalists I respect, who have spent a lifetime covering the game I love; it was opportune to talk to them when their fraternity lost one of their most loved sports journalists.

Sam Landsberger, a young journo, was struck and killed by a truck at an intersection in Melbourne last week.

A curious mind with a penchant for giving a balanced narrative account, Sam will be missed by the closely-knit sports media guild, and my heart goes out to his family and friends.

Through the podcast chat we covered a range of topics from the IPL, the gulf in riches in the game, T20 cricket in Darwin and private ownership.

Two questions that seem topical at present were Steve Smith’s batting position and the perceived strain in relations between the present Australian team and past players.

Although the summer of cricket is still a long way off, with Perth hosting the first Test against India, the drama has already begun to unfold.

My view on Steve Smith is that he could bat anywhere. He is that good.

No one in my time has practised more, scored more runs and had as fierce a desire for improvement as the former captain.

That said, I would have him bat at number four in the Test team.

T20 cricket and one-day cricket are different stories. He could open the batting in the white ball formats any day of the week, but in Test cricket, I think he is better suited at four.

Smith’s friend and current opening partner, Usman Khawaja, reportedly said something similar recently. With both stars in the twilight of their careers, there is a benefit now and into the future for splitting the two from opening.

While these two senior players are both playing, a specialist opener would profit from batting with Khawaja, while others will gain valuable insight batting with Smith in the middle. When these two retire, we don’t want two new openers coming in around the same time.

Someone would have to make way for this to happen, but that is a part of the blueprint of intense competition synonymous with being in the Australian line-up past, present and hopefully future.

The question about strained relations between past and present players was invoked by an interview Adam Zampa gave in England recently.

First, we can all be sensitive when it comes to criticism. Who isn’t? That is human nature. No one enjoys criticism. We should all accept that.

These days, there are so many media outlets and opportunities that criticism can seem constant and, therefore, more intense and invasive. In other words, there is just so much more of it.

Players who leave the game and take up a role in various forms of media are tasked with providing commentary on what they see.

I don’t believe this is ever personal, even though I know it can feel that way when your name is mentioned in a sentence or two. From experience, an hour-long interview may be broken up into spectacular headlines from just a word or two.

Any animosity could be deflected if context, understanding, respect, and perspective were thrown into the mix.

Like intense competition for spots, these factors have long been a workable blueprint in Australian cricket and the respect that goes with representing the country.