Australia shouldn't hand ODI captaincy to David Warner or Steve Smith, says Mitchell Johnson

Former Australia fast bowler Mitchell Johnson believes that Australia must not hand the ODI captaincy to either of David Warner or Steve Smith. Johnson has opined that the duo is into the second half of their careers and may not be great long-term options.

Australia's limited-overs captain Aaron Finch recently announced retirement from ODIs. Test skipper Pat Cummins, who is the vice-captain of Australia's white-ball sides, is believed to have informed the Australian Cricket Board that he does not want to increase his workload by taking up the ODI captaincy as well. Last year, just ahead of The Ashes, Australia appointed Cummins as their new Test captain after Tim Paine got involved in a controversy.

With Australia yet to announce their new ODI skipper, Johnson has suggested the names of Travis Head, Glenn Maxwell, and Cameron Green as options for the role.

"Pat Cummins (Test skipper) may not able to do all formats. It might be too much workload for him, but then I look and check who is available. The selectors have someone in mind may be Glenn Maxwell. Cameron Green would also be a good choice if you are looking the future but there is already a heavy workload for him as an all-rounder. Travis Head is there but he needs to be more consistent," Johnson was quoted as saying in an interview with PTI.

After the Sandpaper Gate in South Africa in 2018, Australia had banned Smith from captaincy for a year, while the board had slapped Warner with a lifetime suspension from any leadership role. However, it was earlier reported that the Australia Cricket Board was planning to overturn Warner's lifetime ban from any leadership role.

Johnson believes handing the captaincy to Warner or Smith is not a great long-term option.

"Both Warner and Smith should not be captains. No issue with them being advisors of the team which they already are. I don't see why this needs to be brought up all over again, it brings back the old stuff (the scandal). They are also towards the end of their careers so it should be someone who has got more time in the game," the former pacer added.

Finch will captain Australia in the T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to begin next month Down Under. The defending champions are set to kickstart their campaign on Oct. 22 against New Zealand. These two sides played the final last year in Dubai, with the Aussies emerging as winners and claiming their maiden T20 World Cup title.

In the lead-up to the mega event, Australia are set to travel to India for a three-match T20I series, starting from Sept. 20. The matches will be played in Mohali, Nagpur, and Hyderabad.