Steven Smith - Will he go anywhere?

[Richard]

Mark Taylor vs Tom Moody Ashes 1989

Not entirely sure how that fits with the rest of the pattern. Opening batsman and future captain vs. middle-order-batsman-who-bowls-a-bit.

What's more Taylor had been brought in for the last couple of pre-1989 Tests and his selection can be put squarely at the door of "give them a fair go once you've picked them" and nowhere else surely?

 

[Sylvester]

Oh right, you mean one delivery, I was presuming you meant over the course of a lengthy period.

Well if he's still never yet managed to do that then that's rather worrying.

Obviously it would be better if he does it for a few balls in a row but I'm just looking at what he can do with the ball atm. As if he isn't doing much then the consistency will just make him a better containing bowler. I've only seen highlights and the odd Champions League match of him so its hard to tell. But the wickets he was getting were shortish balls.

The Shield highlights I saw yesterday was still a bit hard to tell if he was turning it much plus the batsmen were moving all over the crease trying to smash him.

 

[Top_Cat]

Not entirely sure how that fits with the rest of the pattern. Opening batsman and future captain vs. middle-order-batsman-who-bowls-a-bit.

Pretty sure we've been through this before, Rich. Moody and Taylor were directly competing for the opening bat spot, Geoff Lawson confirmed it in his tour diary. This was especially so since Moody scored so well in the warm-ups before the first Test and was preferred in the ODI's when the ODI side was an indicator for the Test side too. Taylor had no form to speak of and wasn't in the ODI side.

This also speaks to a problem with your categorisations of players. For years Moody batted 3 in Shield only because WA had three openers and he had more shots than Marsh or Valetta, he opened in several ODI's for OZ and he didn't bowl. He batted in the top-order for all of his early career, only taking up bowling and batting lower to get picked in the OZ side because the rest of the order was a closed-shop.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Nah, its largely tongue in cheek, although enough Victorians seem to have undue difficulty being selected to give it some legs - there's plenty of smoke: off the top of my head in recent times Matty Elliott, Brad Hodge, David Hussey, Chris Rogers. Some examples are more egregious than others (Hodge is the stand out, and Rogers is currently very unlucky). And between the retirement of Merv Hughes and the selection of Peter Siddle, unless I'm forgetting someone, there was only one Vic who was able to retain a consistent place for more than a season in the XI - S.K. Warne.

Mainly its feeds into the NSW-Vic rivalry and the fact that NSW players seem to have the rub of the green sometimes with selection decisions (the whole baggy green comes with baggy blue thing). SA cricket fans (eg Top Cat) would have similar gripes about their players like Blewett, Lehmann (esp), Siddons.

As an outsider with no dog in the fight, with Hodge the temptation is to think his exclusion is for reasons other than cricketing ones. In Interviews he comes across as: a) not perhaps the deepest thinker & b) quite a big fan of Bradley Hodge. Might be unfair, but does seem to push his own cart very hard.

 

[Top_Cat]

Haha, Smith called up as cover for Hauritz. Spin stocks not in a great place right now, true, but Jason Krejza must be a smidge surprised.

http://www.cricinfo.com/ausvwi09/content/current/story/439443.html

 

[Sylvester]

Did not thing he would make the squad this soon but looks more like experience than anything. If he makes the 11 there will be backlash in the media and more backlash if he does a McGain.

 

[NUFAN]

OMFG, I'll be so pissed if Smith plays at the WACA.

Handy fieldsman though if they want him to be 12th man.

 

[Richard]

Pretty sure we've been through this before, Rich. Moody and Taylor were directly competing for the opening bat spot, Geoff Lawson confirmed it in his tour diary. This was especially so since Moody scored so well in the warm-ups before the first Test and was preferred in the ODI's when the ODI side was an indicator for the Test side too. Taylor had no form to speak of and wasn't in the ODI side.

This also speaks to a problem with your categorisations of players. For years Moody batted 3 in Shield only because WA had three openers and he had more shots than Marsh or Valetta, he opened in several ODI's for OZ and he didn't bowl. He batted in the top-order for all of his early career, only taking up bowling and batting lower to get picked in the OZ side because the rest of the order was a closed-shop.

I see. Have been rather fond of Moody for a fair while and honestly had no idea he ever remotely considered the idea of opening on his own choice, so we certainly haven't been through exactly that.

Either way I'm glad Taylor got the gig.

 

[AlanJLegend]

Thought it might be worthwhile to bring this thread back.

Smiffy has been in some reasonable form as of late, and I have high hopes for him. In fact, I would like to put it on record here that I said (25/10/2012) that Steven Smith will go on to amass 3000+ test runs and probably bat at 3 for us at some stage. In future I will link this post to those who laughed when I suggested he will someday end up in the 'not-quite-ATG-level-but-still-pretty-good' category.

 

[Blain]

Steve Smith. The next Cam White.

Hit the nail on the head there, 4 years ago. I cant see whats so special about this guy, appart from his fielding. Decent batter (Not Aussy test standard, not even close), and part time spinner. Does anyone else pick up on the fact he spits in his hands all the f***ing time? He's worse than Ponting which is hard to do.

He's still young, still trying to find his game. Shouldnt be playing much for Aus at the moment I reckon.

 

[Hurricane]

I think the positive way of describing him is that he is a pioneer. He is trying to introduce a new style of play towards short balls. So far he is unique. Perhaps others will follow his lead.

 

[Red]

Smith should have been told 5 years ago to concentrate fully on his leg spin. He has the fundamentals of being a good leg spinner.

At one stage I thought he could have been Richie Benaud Mk II. Good leggie, hard hitting lower order bat, gun fielder. I think I was wrong on the factor that mattered most...

 

[wellAlbidarned]

He'll only go somewhere if he stops being treated an all-rounder, it's badly ****ing with his development.

 

[Noble One]

For a stage his spin bowling was developing very nicely. He was finding nice loop on the ball and beating the bar on the forward defense in Sheffield Shield cricket. Hasn't kicked on and will soon become a reluctant bowler.

It's clear now his future rests as a batsman. Well behind international class at this stage, however our depth is so poor he is only a solid month away from selection again.

 

[Pup Clarke]

Have always liked the look of Smith as a bowler - just gets underbowled really as the potential is there.

 

[VCC44]

At least he seems enthusiastic. During the ODI at Old Trafford this summer he appeared to be running around like a Jack Russell that's just lapped up too much red bull.

 

[Spooony]

Does he have English grandparents?

 

[BoyBrumby]

Does he have English grandparents?

British passport holder, certainly. Think he played for Kent 2nds before he broke into the NSW side.

 

[SteveNZ]

He'll go wherever A tours are scheduled.

To be fair to him, if he was allowed to concentrate on bowling in the longer forms he'd probably become a good leggie. By all accounts he has shown he can turn it in the past. But the advent of T20 and wanting to become a parsimonious all-round option for IPL teams etc has clearly stunted him. Warne benefited from not being in a similar situation.

 

[NUFAN]

Smith is allowed to concentrate on bowling, but you can't blame the economical spinning captain O'Keefe to not keep bowling Smith if he's going to serve up juicy full tosses and go for a lot of runs for minimal wickets like he did last season.

Claimed a useful wicket first over this Shield season, ending up with 1/16 from 5 overs which is good. I just can't see him being more than a partnership breaker.