Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting believes India captain Virat Kohli is currently the best batsman in the world only because Steve Smith is serving a year-long ban for his role in ball tampering at a Cape Town Test. Asked who is the number one batsman in the world, Ponting said: "Right now, he (Kohli) is because Steve Smith is not there.

"(But) if Steve Smith was playing now, I'd have him as the number one player in the world," he said at Channel Seven's cricket season launch. Ponting believes Smith's contribution in Australia's many victories, especially at the Ashes, makes him a better batsman than Kohli.