?Australian cricket great Ricky Ponting thinks Test captain Steve Smith will bat lower down the order this summer.

The former skipper told 3AW he was ‘excited’ about the summer ahead.

He also thinks selectors may opt to blood younger players.

‘I’ve got a bit of feeling they’ll lean towards (Cam) Bancroft and (Usman) Khawaja,’ Ponting said on Sports Today.

‘Bancroft to open the batting, Khawaja to bat at three.

‘I’ve got a bit of feeling that Steve Smith might move down the order.

‘Just with the way he’s been speaking of late? I think if he was going to lock himself in at No.3, he would have come out and said that.’

LISTEN: Ricky Ponting joins Bruce Eva on 3AW