Steve Smith has future Australian cricket captain written all over him Big improver: Steve Smith is back at the helm of the Sydney Sixers. There is an episode from Steve Smith's first spell in charge of the Sydney Sixers that demonstrates just why those in the know are already nominating him for further leadership honours, even as Australia's next Test captain. It occurred at ANZ Stadium two summers ago, a few weeks before Smith and the Sixers lifted the Big Bash League trophy with victory in the final against Perth Scorchers. The Sixers were playing crosstown rivals Sydney Thunder and 22-year-old Smith was calling the shots in place of captain Brad Haddin, who was on Australian duties. Defending a total of 117, Smith organised his field, deploying a decorated player many years his senior to field at fine-leg. His teammate wasn't impressed at running from one corner of the ground to another and confronted Smith, blowing up. "I'm not here to field," he said to the young leader. Smith looked at him and replied: "I'm the captain and you'll do what I tell you," ordering him back to the fence. The match was rained out soon after - Thunder batting for only 5.3 overs and losing on Duckworth/Lewis. But word got around about how the baby-faced skipper had stood up to the seasoned pro. Fast forward nearly two years to the day and on Friday night Smith, 24, will again take the reins for the third-placed Sixers - against the Scorchers, who are second - at the SCG on Friday night. Smith reclaims the captaincy in a significantly more developed stage of his career - entrenched in Australia's Test middle order and, with no small thanks to the endorsement of Ricky Ponting, now regarded as a candidate to eventually succeed Michael Clarke. Smith's rise as an emerging leader as well as a batsman is no surprise, though, at Sutherland District Cricket Club, where he was first-grade captain at 19. "He's always had a pretty good cricket brain," said long-serving club official Tom Iceton. He's lived for cricket, really. And going back a few years he still had a bit of growing up to do but he's certainly done that over the past few years. Ponting agrees. "Steve Smith is the one I think who could find himself in that role," he told Fairfax Media earlier in the summer when asked if there was a future Test captain in Clarke's current XI. But if you had asked me two years ago, I would have said absolutely not. It seems like he has sorted himself out and he is playing well. Smith, who also led NSW for the first time during this season's Ryobi Cup, knows the highest office in Australian sport is not going to be vacant for some time, and even when it is there is no certainty he'll be in the mix. But his output in the past six months, scoring three Ashes hundreds in six Tests, indicates he is there for the long haul. In that sense the continued grooming of Smith the captain should make interesting viewing. "I do enjoy it, it's nice to lead a group, especially a group like this," Smith said of the Sixers. We've got some very experienced heads around and some good players as well so it's certainly something I do enjoy doing. With Alex Nicholson