New Delhi [India], February 19 (ANI): ICC Hall of Famer and former skipper Ricky Ponting has backed Steve Smith to play as an opener during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, saying that he could anchor the innings for Aussies at the top of the order.

Australia's ICC Champions Trophy campaign will kickstart on February 22 at Lahore against arch-rivals England, followed by matches against South Africa (February 25) at Rawalpindi and Afghanistan (February 28) at Lahore.

Ponting was speaking about Australia's current injury woes with host Sanjana Ganesan on the latest episode of The ICC Review, with regular skipper Pat Cummins, fellow fast bowlers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazelwood, all-rounders Cameron Green and Mitchell Marsh, plus even recently-retired all-rounder Marcus Stoinis (retired from ODIs) all missing from their 15-player squad for the event.

While Travis Head looks certain to feature in Australia's top order at the Champions Trophy, Ponting thinks promoting Smith up from his regular role at number four is something selectors may be considering ahead of their first match at the tournament against England in Lahore on February 22.

It is a role Smith has relished domestically in T20 cricket, for the Sydney Sixers in Australia's domestic Big Bash League, which recently included a searing 121* off 64 balls against the Perth Scorchers in January.

From 151 ODI innings for Australia, Smith has batted everywhere from third in the line-up right down to eighth, but has never opened.

The decision centres around the faith Australian selectors have in talented hitter Jake Fraser-McGurk, who is still yet to deliver on the promise he's shown in recent years.

Fraser-McGurk averages just 14 from the seven innings he's played in ODIs, since making his debut in February 2024, with a top score of 41 off 18 deliveries against the West Indies in Canberra. Six of those seven innings were as an opener. Matt Short (197 runs in 13 matches with one fifty), J Fraser McGurk (98 runs in seven matches with the best score of 41) and Josh Inglis (543 runs in 27 ODIs at an average of 23.60 with three fifties in middle order) have not proven themselves in ODIs to be able to become Head's opening partner.

'Yeah, he is making it harder and harder (for selectors to stick with Fraser-McGurk),' Ponting said on the latest episode of The ICC Review.

'He has not had the greatest of summers. I mean, there is just so much talent there. There is so much ability and skill and talent that we have noy sort of seen consistently enough just yet. And that is one of the big calls (selectors) are going to have to make now as well.'

'Do they think about opening the batting with Steve Smith, which is something that they could actually think about as well, I think, because of how well he has done in white ball cricket when he has opened the batting.'

'(Smith) could be someone that could be an anchor through this Champions Trophy at the top of the order. And you know that with the form that he is in, he's going to make big runs.'

'And Jake is the sort of player that if he does play at his best... he could win a tournament (for Australia). That is what the Australians, I think, would be saying. The coaches would be saying that to him. We will see which way they decide to go at the start of the tournament,' he concluded. (ANI)