The legacy of Steve Smith

[TheJediBrah]

How’s this interview with Smith rn? Spoke about how he moved back to off stump vs Jansen yesterday “because I decided once I was out there I wasn’t going to be challenged on the outside edge, and I got a cover drive away then a pull shot so that worked”

“Yeah I wanted to work on my horizontal bat shots against the spinners once I got to 100, to practice things for India.”

“you were going to work on your game in the middle of a Test match innings?”

“Yeah we don’t get to play many practice matches so, no disrespect intended, but I thought with the short boundary there I could work on that, but then I lost concentration and chipped one back…”

Built different

 

[Burgey]

This is a genuinely top interview because he’s properly talking about some really interesting technical parts of his game. Now onto the challenges of playing in India and how he goes about it.

Credit to Howard here, who’s doing an awesome job getting him to open up

 

[Burgey]

More cricket media types need to ask questions about technical stuff because it’s when the players are actually most likely drop their guard because they’re totally in their comfort zone

 

[Burgey]

Honestly learned more about how he operates and goes about batting in that 15 minute interview than in about a hundred vapid press conferences over however many years

 

[Slifer]

At some point I'd love people to realise that cricketing praise isn't a zero sum game, and that acknowledging the greatness of one player doesn't mean you're taking kudos away from another.

The lengths certain people will go to discredit sir Steve. If I were you, I'd just ignore PFK and his nitpicking...

 

[centurymaker]

Fair comment on cricinfo-
Michael C: "Every one should be full of praise for Smith and his batting but remember Ricky Ponting had a similar average (over 60) after he plundered South Africa for two tons in his 100th Test. We should only compare Smith with the greats when he is finished playing."


Ricky Ponting ended up playing 168 Tests, while Steve Smith is on just 92 Tests.


However I don't see the same happening with Smith because he will retire in just 2 or 3 years. Either after BG 2024/25 or Ashes 2025/26.
He will see his average dip into the late 50's and will call it quits, as his comments yesterday suggested he won't play too long.

 

[TheJediBrah]

I can't imagine what else he would do if not playing cricket

 

[Gob]

Fair comment on cricinfo-
Michael C: "Every one should be full of praise for Smith and his batting but remember Ricky Ponting had a similar average (over 60) after he plundered South Africa for two tons in his 100th Test. We should only compare Smith with the greats when he is finished playing."


Ricky Ponting ended up playing 168 Tests, while Steve Smith is on just 92 Tests.


However I don't see the same happening with Smith because he will retire in just 2 or 3 years. Either after BG 2014/15 or Ashes 2015/16.
He will see his average dip into the late 50's and will call it quits, as his comments yesterday suggested he won't play too long.

Other than being completely wrong (fact wise), fair

 

[Coronis]

This is a very very good team and one that probably could change over time and there is lots of players that could be in the side too. So many great players.

I reckon Lara gets into my team.
Brendan Turner I actually rate Lara ahead of Tendulkar for this reason:

Lara scored 34 Test centuries - 19 of them were 150+...thats a staggering 55.8%...so Lara could score big...very big.....and of those nineteen 150+ scores - 7 of them were double hundreds, one triple hundred and one 400, so 9 out of 19 were 200+ which is 36.8%

Tendulkar scored 51 Test centuries, 20 of them were at 150 or more....39.2%....of those twenty 150+ scores....6 of them were 200+...so 6 out of 20 is 30.0%.

Both outstanding players, all time greats, but in my opinion I have Lara ahead of Tendulkar, but not by much. But thats for another discussion.

Both outstanding players, all time greats, but in my opinion I have Lara ahead of Tendulkar, but not by much. But thats for another discussion.

But yeah it shows how many wonderful players have played Test cricket over time ??

Will just say that yes, he was great at going big, but also far more inconsistent. Compared to Tendulkar especially, he’s a bit of a HTB too. (yes I know he’s played great match winning innings outside of WI)

 

[centurymaker]

Other than being completely wrong (fact wise), fair

Sean: "I feel people are saying Ponting had an average over 60 like Smith until the twilight period of his career but I am not sure if this true (thinking more like 55-58 until the decline). Can this be confirmed?" It reached 59.99 in his 107th Test in December 2006, when he had more than 9000 Test runs, and finished at 51.85.

Smith is 15 Tests short of that mark. Australia has tough tours coming up, India & England. These could define his legacy if he can sustain through them.

 

[Gob]

Well you figured it out yourself. Good for you

 

[Burgey]

These could define his legacy if he can sustain through them.

Literally retained the 2019 Ashes off his own bat but yeah, has a lot to prove there…

 

[subshakerz]

Without even getting into Lara V Sachin, I think that side will actually be better with Lara there at 4. The style of batsmen will be very complementary to each other all through till 9/10. You probably can replace Imran/Hadlee with more of a pace merchant too.

Sobers is pretty much a better version of Lara already tho

 

[subshakerz]

This is a very very good team and one that probably could change over time and there is lots of players that could be in the side too. So many great players.

I reckon Lara gets into my team.
Brendan Turner I actually rate Lara ahead of Tendulkar for this reason:

Lara scored 34 Test centuries - 19 of them were 150+...thats a staggering 55.8%...so Lara could score big...very big.....and of those nineteen 150+ scores - 7 of them were double hundreds, one triple hundred and one 400, so 9 out of 19 were 200+ which is 36.8%

Tendulkar scored 51 Test centuries, 20 of them were at 150 or more....39.2%....of those twenty 150+ scores....6 of them were 200+...so 6 out of 20 is 30.0%.

Both outstanding players, all time greats, but in my opinion I have Lara ahead of Tendulkar, but not by much. But thats for another discussion.

Both outstanding players, all time greats, but in my opinion I have Lara ahead of Tendulkar, but not by much. But thats for another discussion.

But yeah it shows how many wonderful players have played Test cricket over time ??

I rate Tendulkar ahead of Lara. But I think you can make a case for putting Viv at 4 and Steve Smith at 5 and leaving out both Tendulkar and Lara.

Smith at current is pretty much a better version of Tendulkar as a mildly aggressive master accumulator.

Sobers is just a better version of Lara.

Viv is unique in his own right as a master blaster, especially against pace.

 

[The_CricketUmpire]

Will just say that yes, he was great at going big, but also far more inconsistent. Compared to Tendulkar especially, he’s a bit of a HTB too. (yes I know he’s played great match winning innings outside of WI)

Lara averaged 58.65 at home and 47.80 away.

 

[centurymaker]

Literally retained the 2019 Ashes off his own bat but yeah, has a lot to prove there…

Where did I say prove? Sustain..

Can he manage to keep his average during these tours

 

[centurymaker]

If Smith averages 50 over the next 3 years till Ashes 2025/26 his average will only drop to 58 after 120 Tests.

That will probably tick off longevity.

 

[Flem274*]

Given the current reversion to the norm, Smith averaging 60 will only look better and better as time passes.

People forget in the 1980s even the West Indies had Larry Gomes and then Carl Hooper.

 

[Pap Finn Keighl]

At some point I'd love people to realise that cricketing praise isn't a zero sum game, and that acknowledging the greatness of one player doesn't mean you're taking kudos away from another.

It was just a reminder, Smith's numbers are not unprecedented.. Sachin's numbers were equally good if not better.

 

[The_CricketUmpire]

If anything Viv would be one of the openers.. He did alright against DK and Tommo albeit small sample.

He is too good to be left out..

In the Opening position (number 1 or 2), Viv played 2 matches and had 4 innings and scored 279 runs at an average of 69.75, he scored two 50s and one 100. His highest score was 101