Pat Cummins Confirms Steve Smith’s Spot Ahead of WTC Final

Australia captain Pat Cummins has officially confirmed Steve Smith will bat at number four in the ICC World Test Championship Final against South Africa, set for June 11 at Lord’s.

In an interview with The Grade Cricketer on Prime Video Australia, Cummins said, “I can confirm that Smudge will be batting at four. Everyone else, I’m not willing to, but I can confirm Steve Smith will be number four.”

Smith’s consistency in the No. 4 position has made him a cornerstone of the Australian Test lineup. Across 120 innings at that slot, he has scored 6,531 runs at an average of 61.61, including 23 centuries and 26 half-centuries. His most recent heroics came in the 2023 WTC Final, where he struck a pivotal century in the first innings to help secure Australia’s maiden title.

As the team prepares to defend its crown, Cummins reflected on the significance of reaching back-to-back finals in a tournament that began in 2019. “After winning in 2023, there's a lot of talk of trying to retain it. Go and defend it. It's not tangible until you actually make the final,” he said. “Now that we've made it, it'll be pretty cool to win another ICC trophy.”

Cummins underlined the demanding nature of the WTC, highlighting its global scope: “A test tournament, you've got to go and win basically everything at home, go over to Sri Lanka and win in really tough spinning conditions and beat a strong side in New Zealand. It shows you’ve got to be a complete team.”

Looking ahead to the clash, Cummins acknowledged South Africa’s strength and depth: “Rabada, Maharaj, Bavuma, they’ve played a lot of cricket. They’ve got really good fast bowlers and some batters you haven’t seen much, but they’ve scored plenty of domestic runs.”