Aussie cricket coach's brutal whack for Steve Smith

Former national coach John Buchanan has slammed calls for Steve Smith to be reinstated as captain when his leadership ban ends.

The 30-year-old's ban on leading Australia ends in March, with many good observers pointing at his recent exploits in the Ashes as evidence of his suitability to once again lead his country.

Smith skippered the team until he was suspended for 12 months over a brazen attempt to alter the ball with sandpaper under his watch in Cape Town last year.

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Part of his punishment included a further year-long exile from any leadership role.

Calls have grown for Smith to take over from Tim Paine when the ban is lifted since his incredible batting performances helped Australia retain the Ashes against England.

However, former Buchanan says in terms of captaincy, Smith shouldn't be afforded a second chance after the 'Sandpapergate' scandal.

"In my opinion, although unfortunate for him, it's a one-strike policy when you're captain of Australia," Buchanan told Off-Field podcast.

"If you're caught cheating, which that was, then irrespective of all the reasons behind that and around that, ultimately you had a choice and it was the wrong choice.

"Therefore, to me, yes welcome him back as an incredible player, which he demonstrated through England. But in terms of future captaincy? No.

Buchanan said his stance doesn't mean Smith should be excluded from taking on a leadership role within the Australia squad.

"In terms of future leadership within the group? Certainly. There are a lot of experiences that he has had and can bring to that group and all formats of the game that he plays into the future. But it was just one of those moments in his life that I'm sure he'll forever regret."

Australia coach Justin Langer admits the captaincy call on Smith is not a simple decision after admitting his exploits -- 774 runs in just seven innings -- left him mentally and physically shattered.

"I've built a good relationship with Steve over the last 18 months, and it (the captaincy) is going to come down to honest conversations," the coach told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

"You can see how exhausted he was from the effort he put into his batting (during the Ashes), and whether he wants the burden of captaincy as well is something we'll have to work out over time.

"I'll be one of the selectors, and I think we'll just work out what's best."

Current skipper Paine, who will be 35 in December, will almost certainly retain the role for the home summer Test series against Pakistan and New Zealand, despite occasional criticism of his batting and captaincy during the Ashes.

Langer said he was "doing a brilliant job at the moment".

"He's been outstanding in his time as captain. However long he wants to keep playing for is another thing," he added.

With AAP