Smith 'ready' as Aussies sweat on trio's injury prognosis

Australia are sweating on the scan results for the three walking wounded from last night's T20 World Cup win over Ireland, with the immediate playing futures of skipper Aaron Finch, allrounder Marcus Stoinis and power-hitter Tim David to be known tomorrow.

All three spent stints off the field with hamstring soreness as the reigning champions closed out a 42-run win at the Gabba on Monday to keep alive their tournament finals aspirations, and underwent scans in Brisbane this morning.

The results of those investigations, and the impact they hold for the host nation's hopes of defending the T20 title they won in the UAE last year, are expected to be revealed as they gather for training in Adelaide tomorrow morning ahead of their final Super 12s match against Afghanistan on Friday.

Finch appeared the most badly inconvenienced while fielding in the early overs of Ireland's innings after top-scoring for Australia with 63 (off 44 balls), and despite describing the injury as a 'twinge" he conceded he has a history of hamstring issues.

Stoinis and David also spent significant time off the field on Monday evening, although it is unknown whether that came about due to the severity of their problems or out of an abundance of caution as teams enter the final fortnight of the tournament.

Steve Smith, who with all-rounder Cameron Green looms as a potential replacement in Australia's top-order should injury-related vacancies open up, said today he was unaware of the prognosis for the hampered trio but remained hopeful the scans revealed no serious damage.

"I haven't heard anything at this stage," Smith told reporters in Brisbane before the team flew to Adelaide.

"Fingers crossed the guys who are having their scans can get some good news and be okay."

Smith also revealed his stint as a substitute fielder for most of Australia's bowling innings last night left him feeling "tightness" in his hamstrings, and wondered if the Gabba surface was "maybe a bit sandy or a bit heavy underfoot".

However, he added he would be fine to play in Friday's vital Super 12s game at Adelaide Oval if required and noted he felt in good form even though he has been surplus to requirements in Australia's 15-man squad since the World Cup began.

"Like any sort of tournament, I'm always preparing to play," Smith said.

"I haven't had an opportunity so far, but I feel like I'm batting quite well in the nets so if that opportunity does arise, I'll look to take it with both hands.

"There's obviously a few different ways the team could play, and I'm sure they'll talk about in the strategy (meetings) and talk about match-ups and things like that.

"I'm open to batting anywhere.

"I've batted pretty much in every position – I don't think I've opened in T20 internationals, but I did it a couple of times in the IPL and did it pretty well.

"And I've batted down to six or seven, where I've done okay at the back-end on occasions as well.

"So I'm pretty open to whatever happens, we'll just see.

"Let's keep our fingers crossed for the guys getting scans."

Smith confirmed his absence from Australia's starting XI throughout the tournament to date was the result of strategic decisions made at selection, with an eye to in-game match ups and batters who were best suited to specific conditions.

But he cited the example of another former Test captain, India's Virat Kohli whose match-winning innings against Pakistan at the MCG arose from circumstances where opposition bowlers were on top after a clatter of early wickets and a salvage job was required before he was able to go for broke.

"Some of the wickets have done quite a bit, and you haven't seen those really big scores," Smith said of the World Cup conditions to date.

"So guys like Virat in that game at the MCG, he just batted and then took it on later on.

"That's the way I like to go about it, if things are difficult early.

"I play Test cricket, I play one-day cricket so I've got that sort of game to play in those sorts of difficult circumstances, if the wickets are doing a bit.

"That's the role I see that I can play, but we've gone for a pretty power-heavy side so far throughout this tournament, and we've played some pretty good cricket outside of the (opening) New Zealand game.

"So we'll see where the next game lands in terms of how guys are injury-wise, and the way the strategy and selectors want to go."

Should Finch be sidelined from the Afghanistan game, and potentially even longer in the tournament assuming Australia progress, Smith believes keeper Matthew Wade would continue in the captaincy role he assumed for much of Ireland's batting innings last night.

In addition to the six T20Is in which he's led his country, Wade boasts extensive leadership experience with both Victoria and Tasmania and Smith sees his berth behind the stumps as an ideal vantage point for observing and driving the game.

And having captained Australia eight times in T20s himself, in addition to his vast experience at Test and ODI level, Smith will happily lend the stand-in skipper whatever assistance he can provide should Finch find himself facing an extended absence.

"I'm there to help in any way I can," Smith said.

"I've obviously got a lot of experience, (currently) vice-captain of the Test side and have captained before.

"But (Wade) has a great knowledge of the game, and I think keeping as well, you get good angles and they're important inT20 cricket.

"So I'm sure he'd do a terrific job."

Men's T20 World Cup 2022

Australia squad: Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Aaron Finch (c), Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa

Australia's fixtures

Oct 22: Lost to New Zealand by 89 runs

Oct 25: Beat Sri Lanka by seven wickets

Oct 28: Match abandoned v England

Oct 31: Beat Ireland by 42 runs

Nov 4: v Afghanistan, Adelaide Oval, 7pm AEDT

Click here for the full 2022 T20 World Cup fixture