Former Australia cricketer Adam Gilchrist has urged the national selectors to end all speculations around Steve Smith's captaincy, saying that the ex-skipper should be named vice-captain if they want him back at the top job.
Smith and his deputy David Warner had stepped down from their posts after they were slapped with a one-year international bans for their role in the 2018 ball-tampering scandal. Since then Tim Paine has been leading the Test team while Aaron Finch is at the helm of the white-ball sides.
"I see no reason why someone shouldn't have a second chance and if part of that is the captaincy for Steve Smith, if he's the right guy and the most obvious candidate, I can't see a reason why he shouldn't be allowed to do it," Gilchrist told Fox Cricket.
"If Cricket Australia and the selectors feel that way, and Steve Smith is keen to do it, I think they should make him vice-captain immediately.
Smith recently revealed that there have been discussions in the team about him returning to the top job again.
"And whenever those opportunities come up – when Painey (Paine) finishes, when Finchy (Finch) finishes – he just assumes it like any normal, natural progression," Gilchrist added.
Recently, Australia named pace spearhead Pat Cummins as the sole vice-captain after previously sharing the role with Travis Head.
Gilchrist feels the future succession plan should be made clear and announcing Smith as vice-captain will put an end to all the uncertainty surrounding the subject.
"It takes out all the speculation and allows Steve to know, everyone to know, what the journey is going to be.
"It allows the natural progression to happen without the speculation. By doing that it means that when the captaincy changes there is not all this hype and uncertainty around it and focus being taken away from the cricket.
"It just means everyone is clear that's going to happen," Gilchrist said.