Steve Smith will walk onto the Gabba on December 8 with a leadership role in the Australian cricket team once again, and is insisting that he will be better at it this time around.
Smith was originally dumped from the captaincy of the Australian team following the Cape Town ball-tampering scandal in 2018.
It saw Smith and David Warner both banned for 12 months altogether, while Smith would then take a further 12 months back in the team before he would be able to assume a leadership position again. Warner was banned for good from a leadership position, despite a feeling before the incident that was doing an excellent job as Smith's deputy.
Smith was announced as Australia's new vice-captain last week under Pat Cummins, who will take over the captaincy from Tim Paine, who stood down and is now taking a break from cricket entirely following the revelation of a historic sexting scandal.
But Smith said that he has grown over the last few years and is now ready to take the mantle of vice-captain once more, having originally served under Michael Clarke before taking over the team's captaincy.
"There will be some negativity from some people about it. I understand that and I get that," Smith said.
"But for me I know that I've grown a great deal over the last three or four years.
"I'm a more rounded individual and in turn I think it's turned me into a better leader.
"I've been in a position the last few years playing as a leader and now the opportunity obviously to be standing here next to Patrick as a formal leader or a titled leader, I'm truly honoured."
It has been said that there will be times when Smith becomes on-field captain, given Cummins is a fast bowler and may well be resting at fine leg or unable to commit the energy to captaining the team during various parts of the day.
Smith will take over the captaincy is Cummins misses any Tests as well, however, Smith said he wants Cummins to be available for every test - and fans will agree with Cummins the heart and soul of the Australian team, at times playing a lone hand with both bat and ball over the past few summers.
"From my point of view fingers crossed Patrick is available for every game," Smith said.
"If the case is that he isn't, I'll step in and do the best job that I can for the team in his absence and ensure we're still trying to push the team forward and keep growing as a team.
"Hopefully we can have some success along the way with that."
