Not undermining Australia Test captain Tim Paine: Steve Smith

Australia batsman Steve Smith has reacted to former skipper Ian Chappell’s claims that he undermined current captain Tim Paine by trying to set the field in the second Test against Pakistan, which the home team won by an innings and 48 runs on Monday.

Chappell said the batting mainstay should not be as involved in field placements as he seemed to be on Monday when Australia wrapped the 2-0 series triumph.

“I tell you what I don’t like to see, Steve Smith is moving a few fieldsmen around, Chappell told ‘Macquarie Sports Radio’.

“He did have a chat with Tim Paine, trying to talk Tim Paine into moving a fielder on the off-side, but I’m not sure Tim Paine moved him as far as Steve Smith wanted. Steve Smith started moving him, I hate to see that,” he added.

Smith responded to Chappell’s claims on Tuesday and explained that he was simply trying to help the Australian captain during the Adelaide Test.

“I only try and help Tim as much as I can,” Smith told 9News. “‘He’s doing a terrific job, but I give him suggestions and things like that,” Smith added. ‘I only want the team to do well. I’m certainly not undermining him.’

Steve Smith had captained the Australia team before losing the position in the aftermath of the ball-tampering scandal last year to current skipper Tim Paine.

Australia wrapped the Adelaide Test on Monday, whitewashing Pakistan with an innings-and-48-run win. Paine said: ‘I thought we played some really good cricket for all the series. Barring the fielding yesterday I thought all of our cricket was good.