Australia great Michael Clarke has encouraged Steve Smith to reject taking over as national captain if he is offered the job again, backing Pat Cummins to thrive in the role across all three formats.

Smith lost the captaincy in the wake of the ball-tampering scandal and was suspended from taking a leadership role for two years.

That suspension comes to a close at the end of the month but with Australia excelling under Tim Paine and Aaron Finch an immediate return to captaincy is off the cards for Smith.

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"In my opinion, Pat Cummins takes over the captaincy across all three formats." @MClarke23 backs Aussie quick @patcummins30 to be the next Australian Cricket Captain over Steve Smith. Do you agree? #bigsportsbrekky pic.twitter.com/89agoULOwq — Big Sports Breakfast (@BigSportsBrekky) March 1, 2020

Clarke believes Paine and Finch’s time in those jobs could come to an end after this summer but maintains Smith should not take backs the reins as he feels there is a better candidate for the job.

“In sport in this country we have a sense of the best player needs to be the captain,” Clarke said on Big Sports Breakfast. “I don’t agree with that. I think the best captain needs to be the captain.

“Steve Smith is Australia’s best batsman but I don’t necessarily think he is the right man to captain Australia.”

According to the former World Cup and Ashes winning captain “the right man to captain Australia” is pace spearhead Cummins, unperturbed by Australia’s traditional reluctance to give the role to a bowler.

“I know there has always been a lot of talk about a bowler being captain and generally that is because the bowlers get injured.

“Pat has shown that he is fit, he is healthy, he can play all three formats. His body has now matured into a position where he will be on the field as much as any batsman.

“He reads the game really well. Yes, he is an opening bowler but he can bat. He is brilliant in the field. He sees the game how a captain needs to see the game.”

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Michael Clarke wants Pat Cummins to captain Australia across all three formats. Source: News Corp Australia

With that in mind, Clarke believes Smith should reject the captaincy if he is called upon.

“I think there is probably a great opportunity if Steve is offered that chance to actually decline it because of those reasons. He is our best player but he can be a captain without that ‘c’ beside his name.”

Clarke, who captained Australia 139 times, also believes the time is nigh for one man to lead the side across all three formats, suggesting both Paine and Finch make way after this year’s blockbuster summer which features a Border-Gavaskar series and Twenty20 World Cup.

“For Australian cricket right now, the position they are in, they need one captain across all three formats.

“No disrespect to Aaron Finch, he has done a wonderful job, but at the end of the Twenty20 World Cup in November this year, I think it could be the right time for him to stand down as well and in my opinion Pat Cummins take over the captaincy across all three formats.”

Cummins' day out 1:22

While Clarke says it will be up to Paine to decide when he calls it a day, he sees a series win over India as the perfect opportunity to exit on a high.

“Tim Paine has done a wonderful job. There is no doubt about it. He has earnt the right to continue to captain Australia until it is time for him to retire.

“If Australia can win there (Border-Gavaskar series) that is an ideal time for Tim to walk away on top and for all of us that love the game to respect what he has been able to achieve as a captain.”

Cummins' run out brilliance 0:40

Riddled by injuries in the early stages of his career, Cummins had to wait six years to play his second Test after making his debut as an 18-year-old. He has become Australia’s iron man since then, playing 73 matches across the three formats. Only Finch (79 matches) has played more games for Australia in that time.

Cummins has not been captain in any of those matches and has little experience as a captain at a senior level but Clarke cannot see that being too big an issue.

“Yes it might take him a bit of time but that is where he has got those senior players, Steve Smith, David Warner, Nathan Lyon – these other guys around him that I think can really support him.”