Should Steve Smith get another chance to be the Australian captain?

When Steve Smith returned to Test cricket after a one-year ban for his involvement in the sandpaper ball-tampering incident, the England crowd mocked and jeered at him. But despite the hostile reception from the crowd, the Australian batsman registered perhaps the greatest comeback ever seen in cricket.

Scoring 774 runs in four matches at an average of 110.57, Smith walked away with the Player of the Series award at the end of the 2019 Ashes. He was also named the Player of the Match in two of the four matches he played. Overall, he now has seven Player of the Match awards in Ashes cricket - the most by any Australian cricketer.

The level of consistency shown by Smith made him stand out in the tournament, head and shoulders above the rest. He broke several records too in the process, and we can say without a doubt that he made his country proud through his hard work and dedication.

Now that Smith is back and has proved himself as an indispensable part of the team, the question has to be asked: will he get a second chance at captaincy?

The decision-makers will likely have contrasting opinions on this matter. Some would argue that he should get the captaincy because of his spectacular performance in the Ashes. Leading from the front is a positive trait that makes Smith deserving of the armband.

However, the ball-tampering incident will always be a point of contention against Smith, and why some would argue he should never get back the captaincy.

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting thinks Smith should ultimately get back to his previous post. "Steve Smith - I think he will captain again. I don’t know what the Australian public might think about that," Ponting said at an event at Australia House in London.

The main concern at the back of Ponting's mind is the public response. And it seems clear from his statement that that will be the concern of the team management too.

Through his outstanding performance on English soil, Smith has at least reinforced his intentions to continue serving his team unflinchingly. Reinstating him as a captain once his two-year captaincy ban gets over would be a big statement by the Australian board, but it would also be just reward for Smith's efforts (assuming he keeps up his level of play).

If cricket is a gentleman’s game, then the management should do the gentlemanly thing and give Smith another chance at captaincy. Smith on the hand should vow never to repeat his past mistakes, and continue moving forward - as he did in the 2019 Ashes.

Only time will tell if it will happen, but these are the things that define the spirit of cricket. Forgiving a penitent player and helping him clear a bad past will only add a positive reputation to the Australian management and to the game of cricket.