Steve Smith replacing David Warner as opener in order to accommodate Cameron Green in the Australian side seems like a convenient decision rather than the best one. Despite talk of various options to replace Warner, Smith is now the leading candidate simply because other middle-order batters did not want the opening role. Australia will play two matches against a weakened West Indies side, followed by a tour of New Zealand. The conditions in New Zealand will be a test for Australia’s new batting order. Smith, who has never opened in Test cricket, is set to partner Usman Khawaja, while Green will move to batting at number four. The selectors’ decision to move Smith up remains uncertain, and it risks putting players in positions where they have little Test experience. There is a concern that the Australian team looks fatigued, and there are doubts about whether some players have the same level of concentration as they did in the past. Additionally, the decision to rest Shaheen Shah Afridi, Pakistan’s pace spearhead, from the third test has been criticized and seen as a foolish decision by many.