Steve Smith says helium expects "negativity" from immoderate parts aft helium was officially unveiled arsenic Australia's Test vice-captain.
The instrumentality to an authoritative enactment relation completes an arduous travel backmost to the apical for the 32-year-old, whose three-year tally arsenic skipper ended successful a tearful property league backmost successful 2018 amid the ball-tampering scandal.
Speaking alongside Australia's caller Test skipper Pat Cummins, Smith touched connected his travel backmost to the apical since that fateful time successful Cape Town.
READ MORE: Cummins' plea to nationalist aft being named Test captain
"I've been successful a presumption the past fewer years playing arsenic a person and present the accidental evidently to beryllium lasting present adjacent to Patrick arsenic a ceremonial leader, a titled leader, I'm genuinely honoured," helium told reporters.
"There volition beryllium immoderate negativity from immoderate radical astir it, I recognize that and I get that, but for me, I cognize that I've grown a large woody implicit the past 3 oregon 4 years.
"I'm a much rounded individual, and successful turn, it's turned maine into a amended person and I'm excited to beryllium successful this presumption adjacent to Patrick.
READ MORE: Sad world of Paine's bombshell Ashes call
"I deliberation he's done a terrific occupation implicit the past fewer years arsenic vice-captain and he's grown into a terrific leader.
"I look guardant to doing everything that I tin successful my powerfulness to assistance Patrick and to assistance this squad turn into a palmy 1 some connected and disconnected the field. We're some truly excited and can't hold to get started successful a mates of weeks' time."
With Cummins the archetypal accelerated bowler to skipper Australia successful the Test format since Ray Lindwall successful 1956, Smith is apt to person an elevated level of work compared to a regular vice-captain.
Cummins said helium would "lean connected [Smith] hugely" fixed his enactment experience, and Smith himself is besides prepared to collaborate heavily.
"It's my occupation to assistance Patrick successful immoderate mode I can. If there's times connected the tract erstwhile I tin assistance and assistance the workload with Pat, past that's my job," helium said.
READ MORE: Khawaja's stunning effect successful Ashes enactment shootout
"I'm excited to enactment with Patrick, we've known each different a agelong clip and we're adjacent friends. We get connected truly good and I deliberation we complement each different truly well.
"I deliberation this could beryllium a truly large concern going forward. It's my occupation to assistance Pat and to assistance turn this squad into 1 that tin hopefully beryllium palmy and 1 that Australia volition beryllium arrogant of."
English (US) ·