'We're Getting Rid Of The 'Tag', Smack The First Ball If You Want': Steve Smith In A New Role In T20Is
As we near the 3-match T20I series between Sri Lanka and Australia in preparation for the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia this year, a new aspect has emerged which may excite Australian cricket fans. One of their best test batters ever, Steven Smith, has been given a new role to play on the T20I side.
Even though the 33-year old batter started his career as an impactful and dynamic limited-overs player, Smith's performance wasn't up to the mark in Australia's crucial title win in the T20 World Cup last year in Dubai. The batter managed only 69 runs in 4 innings with an average of 23 while striking at 97.18.
Steve Smith has registered 886 runs in 54 T20I matches (43 innings) in his T20I career and has scored 886 runs with a strike rate of 125.31. However, these numbers can be associated with the fact that he often played the anchor role. Batting at #3, oftentimes batter looks to stabilize the innings when the big hitters fall early.
However, Steven Smith has been relieved of his 'Mr Fix-it' tag by the stand-in coach Micael di Venuto' ahead of the 3-match T20I away series against Sri Lanka.
"I’m pretty excited that tag’s been taken off, to be honest with you," Smith told cricket.com.au ahead of Australia’s Sri Lanka tour-opening T20I in Colombo.
"Diva (stand-in coach Michael di Venuto) actually told me the other day … he said ‘we're getting rid of that tag, that’s gone. Just go out and play freely. If you want to smack your first or second ball for six, go for it’.
"And I'm like, ‘yeah, that's cool’.
"So now it's just about going out and playing freely and trusting my instincts, which I think I've done well over any format for a long time, instead of being a bit more reserved and trying not to get out, which I don't think the right way to play T20 cricket.
"They’ve got rid of that ‘Mr. Fix-it’ tag."
Steve Smith has had competition in recent times regarding his number 3 spot in the Australian T20I side. Mitchell Marsh holds the spot at the moment while explosive batters Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis have endangered Smith's spot in the middle overs.
With respect to the role of the anchor and other big hitters in the squad, the Australian batter explained, "When I'm playing the role that I was picked to play previously, you're not as aggressive or free-flowing as you could be,"
"Then you see guys like ‘Maxi’ and ‘Stoin’ behind you and you suddenly feel pressure to turn the switch on straightaway.
"That’s not the way I'd generally play the game.
"… When I’m playing well, I'm just hitting the gaps really nicely, I'm not trying to over-hit the ball. I’m just playing what's in front of me, not thinking too much about getting out or letting the team down."
Also Read: Scorecard
The first T20I between Sri Lanka and Australia will be played on June 7th (Tuesday) at R. Premadasa Stadium, followed by the 2nd T20I the very next day at the same stadium and the finale on 11th June (Saturday) at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. The defending champions Australia are touring Sri Lanka for the first time since 2016. It'll be interesting to see how Steven Smith performs in his newly assigned role.