The 'real' Steven Smith question...

[Spikey]

hmmm, his test retirement basically happened because he didn't want get dropped like he did from the ODI team. it's a classic case of a retirement being selfish imo

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Mujeeb and Rashid will be his undoing

 

[Spark]

hmmm, his test retirement basically happened because he didn't want get dropped like he did from the ODI team. it's a classic case of a retirement being selfish imo

what? where did you read this

 

[Gnske]

what? where did you read this

I recall him saying that too, might have been in his autobiography.

 

[Spikey]

Ricky Ponting reveals his anger after being dropped from ODI team in his new book - Cricket Country
Best extracts from Ricky Ponting's upcoming autobiography, At The Close of Play

I thought there was a more definitive quote on it but I think you can basically draw the picture. He was really unhappy about how ODI thing happened and not getting to announce his retirement (as he should have been. the whole thing was farcical) and I'm pretty sure he wasn't gonna let the same thing happen with his test career

also "it's a classic case of a retirement being selfish imo" sounds like I'm slamming him but it's more...I think it's PEWS who said retirement is inherently selfish which kinda opened my eyes to it, and this was a clear case of retiring to give yourself a nice farewell.

 

[TNT]

No one is more real than Ponting.

Ponting on ... telling his father he was going to retire

I rang Dad, who was watching a Twenty20 Big Bash game on the television. "G'day Dad," I said. "What are you doing?"

"I'm watching blokes make runs, something you haven't been doing lately!" he quipped.

 

[S.Kennedy]

His father sounds like a dick.

 

[Grumpy]

Smith's decline will be a steep one IMO. He relies heavily on his incredible hand-eye coordination. Once his eyes start detoriating, he won't be able to score as heavily because of his technique.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Smith's decline will be a steep one IMO. He relies heavily on his incredible hand-eye coordination. Once his eyes start detoriating, he won't be able to score as heavily because of his technique.

This can easily be corrected by having bionic eyes.

 

[Furball]

What exactly is wrong with Smith's technique?

Unorthodox does not mean bad.

 

[TNT]

Smith's decline will be a steep one IMO. He relies heavily on his incredible hand-eye coordination. Once his eyes start detoriating, he won't be able to score as heavily because of his technique.

I would have thought that every batsman relies on hand-eye coordination. Which type of batsmen can score heavily after their eyes detoriate?.

 

[S.Kennedy]

I read somewhere that when Bradman was tested for the army they found he had poor eyesight!

 

[GotSpin]

hmmm, his test retirement basically happened because he didn't want get dropped like he did from the ODI team. it's a classic case of a retirement being selfish imo

I meant that he could have retired at the height of his powers but continued because he was still needed regardless of the damage to his stats

When you play 168 tests I wouldn't attack him for wanting to call time on his own career

 

[Burgey]

I read somewhere that when Bradman was tested for the army they found he had poor eyesight!

Neil Harvey had his eyes tested on a tour in SA and the optometrist asked him who leads him out to bat. #bloodyhopeless

 

[Burgey]

That Howie Games hour or so podcast from last year with Ponting was brilliant. There were a few insights into his retirement on that too. He mentioned ideally retiring after 100 tests but was right into getting the most he could out of the new team after McGrath, Warne, Martyn, Gilly, Langer and Hayden went. Like he felt it would have been the wrong thing to leave at the same time. It’s a great interview if anyone hasn’t listened to it.

 

[Furball]

I wonder if he retires had Australia won the 2009 Ashes.

 

[Coronis]

Neil Harvey had his eyes tested on a tour in SA and the optometrist asked him who leads him out to bat. #bloodyhopeless

Funny you should mention Harvey, not to perpetuate the thought but didn't he start out bloody ridiculous and have a bit of a decline too?

 

[TheJediBrah]

Smith's decline will be a steep one IMO. He relies heavily on his incredible hand-eye coordination. Once his eyes start detoriating, he won't be able to score as heavily because of his technique.

I don't think there's any truth to this whatsoever. There's no reason to think he relies on hand eye coordination more than anyone else. This is a weird assumption that keeps getting perpetuated.

 

[Zinzan]

Smith's decline will be a steep one IMO. He relies heavily on his incredible hand-eye coordination. Once his eyes start detoriating, he won't be able to score as heavily because of his technique.

Sehwag is someone who was always going to struggle more than most (and did) when his eyes started to decline slightly.

Not so sure about Smith, because he does actually use his feet quite well, even if he is unorthodox. I assume you're predominately referring to his taking balls from off-stump through mid-wicket, and that is possibly one area he might have to work on as his eyes start to decline even marginally so.

I used to think the same about his namesake Graeme Smith, who used to make a living taking balls from off-stump through mid-wicket, but he began to play marginally straighter as he aged. I'm guessing Smith will make that slight adjustment to.

I think it's important to watch Steve Smith's position when he's actually striking the ball, as opposed to his preamble. On hitting the ball he actually gets himself surprisingly orthodox positions.

 

[S.Kennedy]

Maybe he should just wear glasses to compensate? Just a thought!