Steve Smith says he always felt he had the support of the Australian public after returning to the Test team captaincy this week, capping off a remarkable career revival. In March 2018, Smith was enemy number one in the wake of a ball scandal that shook cricket. It was a long way back – a two-year leadership ban and a one-year suspension. But the 32-year-old’s redemption was nearly complete last month when he was named vice-captain to new skipper Pat Cummins when Tim Paine retired due to lewd texting, though not everyone agreed with the decision.
By a twist of fate, Smith was then pushed back into the top lane for the first time in nearly four years for the on-going second Ashes Test against England in Adelaide, when Cummins was ruled out hours in advance due to a Covid scare.
“I woke up… I looked at my phone and saw two missed calls from Patty and a message from JL (coach Justin Langer) saying, ‘Are you awake?’” said Smith, one of the world’s top batsmen. , to cricket.com.au about how he learned he would be captaining the team again.
“I wanted to lead the squad in Patty’s absence and continue what he started last week,” Smith added, referring to Australia’s nine-wicket thrashing of England in the first Test.
“I look forward to working with Patty in the future and helping him in any way I can to grow as a leader and help the team succeed.”
Smith was so unprepared that he didn’t have his captain’s blazer with him and had to borrow Cummins’ blazer, which was one size too big when he walked out for the toss on Thursday.
‘Absolutely broken’
It was a far cry from 2018 when a distraught Smith tearfully presided over a press conference in which he admitted he suffered a “failure of leadership” following South Africa’s “Sandpaper-gate” scandal, in which he was sent home in disgrace .
“I’m sorry. I’m devastated,” he said, crying.
Cameron Bancroft had been caught by television cameras trying to buff the ball with sandpaper, involving Smith and his deputy David Warner. All three were sanctioned.
Cricket Australia chief Nick Hockley said in the wake of Cummins’ exposure to the coronavirus that Smith had “completely served his ban and, in his own words, has grown tremendously as a person”.
“The national selection panel and board felt that he had shown that he was absolutely fit to return to a leadership position,” he added.
Captaincy seems to agree with Smith.
After winning the toss in Adelaide’s day-night Test, he chose to bat and saw his team stack 473 for nine in their first innings, contributing a penalty of 93 himself, before declaring late Friday that he had told his bowlers. on crack in a withering England.
It proved to be a good move, with both England openers being removed in quick succession.
First-innings maker Marnus Labuschagne, who was given his break from the 2019 Lord’s Ashes Test as a replacement for a concussion when Smith was felled by a Jofra Archer bouncer, said the replacement skipper had gone to work effortlessly.
“His communication with the team after the game and before the game in the morning is very clear,” said Labuschagne, who has mastered the number three as Smith hit on four.
“It’s my first time captaining Steve and it’s nice to see him in that leadership role.”
promoted
Despite his past, Smith remains widely popular in Australia and received a standing ovation as he went off the field to bat.
“I’ve always felt like I had the support of people here in Australia and it’s always special when you lead your country,” he said.
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