So, there we have it. After playing so much cricket in the last year, Australia have decided to rest regular captain Steven Smith for the tri-nation T20I series against New Zealand and England. The captain has been rested in a bid to make him fresh ahead of the crucial South Africa series.

In his stead, David Warner will lead the Aussies in the shortest format of the game. The left-handed opening batsman, who is also the vice-captain in Tests, has had successful captaincy experience, leading Sunrisers Hyderabad to IPL glory in 2016.

Chief selector Trevor Hohns insisted that rest was important for the captain and that David Warner is a very suitable man to lead the Kangaroos in Steven Smith’s absence.

"The South African series is a very important one and we have made no secret of our desire to improve our record away from home," chief selector Trevor Hohns said.

"As such we wanted to ensure the players had the best possible preparation and that means playing the tour match prior to the first Test.

"Steve Smith has had a very big summer and will benefit from a short break both physically and mentally, before he leaves for South Africa.

"David is a very capable leader and has captained in Steve's absence before and done a fine job.

"We wanted to ensure the T20 side had key leadership throughout this series and we know the team is in good hands with him at the helm."

Indeed, Warner has the ability to motivate his players into giving aggressive performances, something which helped Sunrisers Hyderabad win IPL in 2016.