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Smith 'not temperamentally sound enough to be captain'

Aussie Test great Kerry O'Keeffe has questioned Steve Smith's suitability to be Australian captain, saying he lets his emotions get the better of him.

Smith offered an apology for letting his "emotions, actions falter a little bit throughout this series", after Australia fell to a 2-1 series defeat in India.

A prime example came on day three of the fourth test when Smith appeared to accuse Murali Vijay of cheating after the India fielder claimed a grounded catch.

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Footage captured Smith seemingly mouthing "f***ing cheat" after Vijay snaffled a low slips catch, completing what seemed to be the final wicket to fall in Australia's second innings.

Cameras showed Smith, on the balcony of Australia's change room, expressing disbelief about the veteran's conduct.

"He leads from the front (and) he's finding out about leadership," O’Keeffe said on Fox Sports' Back Page Live.

"Is he temperamentally sound enough to be the captain of our country? Probably not because he's so emotional.

"We've seen when he's on the field he's overly reacting to everything.

"That catch was (not) cleanly taken. He decided to go with the cheat line. There's an emotion to Steve Smith that basically is at the core of his game."

Smith reacts angrily to the controversial catch. Image: Fox Sports
Smith reacts angrily to the controversial catch. Image: Fox Sports

Speaking after the fourth Test, Smith admitted he had let his emotions get the better of him.

"I've been very intense and in my own little bubble and at times I've let my emotions and actions just falter a little bit and I apologise for that throughout this series," he said.

"That's a big stride for me moving forward and something I can really learn from and grow as an individual and as a leader."