Calcutta: Steve Smith was named Australia's new and 45th Test captain in place of Michael Clarke who announced his retirement after the side's drubbing in the onoging Ashes series, Cricket Australia (CA) announced on Friday.

David Warner, 28, will be the Smith's deputy.

Smith's elevation and appointment was recommended by CA's national selection panel and endorsed during Friday's August board meeting. Smith, 26, will also take on the captaincy of the national Twenty20 International team in the United Kingdom while Aaron Finch recovers from injury.

Smith, who captained Australia in Tests against India during the last home season when Clarke was sidelined with a hamstring injury, was the natural choice for the position, CA said. "When Michael made his decision to retire last week, it was a very straightforward decision for us to nominate Steve as his successor," national selector Rod Marsh said in a statement.

"He has big shoes to fill but everything about him suggests he is the right man for the job. At 26, he is a fine young man with extraordinary talent, excellent leadership qualities and a terrific temperament. He is highly regarded by the selectors and we congratulate him on being appointed to the role on an ongoing basis. He should be incredibly proud."

Australia's next Test series is against Bangladesh in September and October.

Talking of Warner, Marsh said the southpaw has matured and developed into an important senior figure in the Australian team. "David has come a long way. He had valuable experience captaining the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL earlier this year and we are confident he will provide strong support to Steve as his deputy. We believe that he will respond well to the added responsibility of leadership."

Cricket Australia chairman Wally Edwards endorsed the side's new leadership. "We have all seen Steve Smith's clear leadership potential and believe he can do an excellent job for Australian cricket for many years," said Edwards.

"We supported the recommendation to appoint David Warner as vice-captain, noting his role as a leading batsman, his development and emergence as a leader within the team."