Media talk of AUS ODI Captain Steve Smith with the complete Transcript
Source: CA Multicultural Media – eLanka
Steve, so many new faces in this white ball sider. We will see a few debitons on Friday. Yeah, I assume so, yeah. I think it’s good to have some fresh faces around.
It’s been a busy summer, some of the boys are quite tired, so it’s nice to have some new energy and fresh faces and a few debitons I dare say, so it’s going to be an exciting one for them. We’ve seen Lance Morris around the Australian side for a long period now. I suppose this is finally the chance. chance that he gets to go on Australian Colours? Yeah, I’m sure he’ll be playing at least one or two of the three games.
So, no, I’m excited to see him. I’ve faced him a few times in the Nets and it’s not much fun. So, I look forward to seeing what he brings out in the middle. Where can we see you in the batting order? I think I’ll be slotting in at four, so we’ll give. Yeah, keep it sort of consistent I suppose. And I’m looking forward to seeing you in the batting order. myself and Martin at four and five, like the World Cup, and then we’ll probably see some guys having an opportunity up top and mix and matching a little bit there with the guys that we’ve got in the squad.
We’ve got some versatility there, so, yeah, should be exciting. – What does the top of the order look like with no David Warner? – I think Travis Hettle will slot in up there.
Yeah, um, Mitch Marshall will slot in up there. here. I think he’s probably a candidate to be batting somewhere in the top three in Monday Cricket obviously. And then, yeah, I’m not sure yet. I think it’s maybe Inglis and Greeny potentially three. We’ll have to sort it out with Selector, but yeah, I dare say I think that’s the top three potentially for the first game.
Have you and some of the other guys processed what happened? at the Gabba, a rare loss at home? Yeah, it was disappointing. It’s always disappointing when you lose. And yeah, look, it was a great game of cricket in the end. Shamar was exceptional on that last day. He bowed beautifully. And I overheard a conversation.
I think we were seven down just before lunch. And I overheard him speaking to Craig. And Craig asked how he did. going he’s like I’m balling to the end man. I was like yeah that’s it’s pretty good it’s pretty impressive so yeah it’s yeah he’s a he’s a rare talent and you know I think it’s great for cricket I suppose what he was able to do and and see the West Indies competing like they did yeah it’s that sort of ranking spell especially to the guy It was impressive, it was pretty bloody hot out there, very sticky conditions and I was actually coming back after the break, I was cramping a bit myself, batting so I can’t imagine how he was feeling, must have got something nice in his toe to keep him going and maybe a few drugs as well to keep him up and about but he just kept coming and actually bowled probably faster at the end rather than the start so yeah that was impressive to watch.
Reflecting back on your your enemies on the finish and batting with the tail, I mean would you have done anything differently to maybe try and get a bit more of a strike? You know I’ve thought about it you know whether we could do different things maybe I could have taken five balls against Shamar.
Shamar you know he was on fire obviously but then you know I run the risk of not getting a run off the last ball and half having to take all six from Alzari who’s a pretty good bowler as well so you know you can weigh those things up but yeah four twos the sort of traditional way to do things I suppose and felt right at the time but yeah wasn’t to be be I’m not entirely sure just yet, but yeah, I’m sure they’ll get an opportunity throughout this series as well So a couple more exciting players, you know, we’ve seen what they’ve been able to do in domestic cricket and in the big bash recently So it’s yeah, it’s great to have some some some new fresh faces and some guys that are you know of good quality and looking forward to seeing what they can do. To make you feel old having someone like a frozen bear could grow up watching you play cricket.
Yep, but he’s really exciting to watch, just watching some of his innings, the hundred he got off 30 balls or whatever it was, 29 balls I think it was in the one day tournament and… his big bash form has been outstanding as well So, you know, I look forward to seeing him come out being aggressive and and giving it a real crack as well I think you’ll get opportunities both in the middle and top Yeah, what that looks like in terms of the three games. I’m not sure but yeah, I think you’ll get opportunities at both. Look, his form has been outstanding recently as well. He’s absolutely smashed it for the strikers the last few weeks.
He’s a quality player. I haven’t really thought that far ahead to be completely honest.
I’m sort of just taking it day -by -day at the moment and obviously all the big boys aren’t around so you know I’ve got the reins for this one but you know they’ll be back. I think you know I’m gonna see a senior player in this group we’ve got a lot of young guys so so I guess just sort of teaching them the ropes, coming into the Australian team for the first time and yeah, hopefully making their experience an enjoyable one. I think, you know, the West Indies have some good players, I think it’ll be a good series and yeah,
hopefully we can see some of these new players start off their international career as well. Look, that’s far above my pay grade, you know, I’m not the one that does all the sponsors and stuff and, you know, I’ll leave that to someone else. in Newark -Taslow, how do you approach it from there? Yeah, I mean I didn’t really overthink things at the start. You know there was a lot of commentary around I’d failed in two or three innings or whatever it was.
I had to not out and two low scores and now I think I’m averaging 60 as an opener so yeah you know I didn’t really read too much into it. It was just another position you know I battled against a new ball [Music] numerous times, coming in early, so for me it’s just a position, I’m just playing and that’s it. Do you think you’ll bow out of Test cricket as a Test opener? I’ll bow out really wherever the team needs me to, so you know, I’m comfortable up top, I’ve enjoyed the first couple of weeks of it, so you know, I wish, I don’t know if they say fit to move me back down or what, I’ll do what I can. do whatever the team needs but for now I’m enjoying it up top no same thing yeah he’s good um you know he seems in a good place um yeah I think he’ll be fair to admit that he probably hasn’t got the scores on the board that he would have liked, but I think he feels like he’s batting well and we know how good of a player he is, so I’ve no doubt there’s a big score around the corner. And you know, they have to think back to his last one -day game as the World Cup final, very battered beautifully. So, you know, he’ll take a lot of confidence out of that going into this series and yeah, hopefully we can see him perform the way we know he can. can. Is there any sense that you’ve got all that such as different cessation?
I mean there’s nothing like time in the middle regardless of what form you’re playing so hopefully he can play well throughout this series and I think he might be playing a shielder. game or something before New Zealand as well. So yeah any time he can get out there and face some balls in the middle is going to be beneficial So yeah, hopefully we can see him make some some runs this series. Is he trying to? Is there a sense of like trying to be perfect and sometimes you got to accept your imperfections I think as As bad as we’re always sort of searching for that perfection and so sometimes when you do try that little bit too hard it makes it that little bit further away in a way so yeah I think he’s definitely a thinker sometimes maybe an overthinker which I’ve said to him as well but yeah it’s about sort of going to the basics and trusting yourself and doing all the work you want to do in the nets but when you get out in the middle it’s just about focusing on that ball coming down at you and you know playing each one to the best durability I suppose try not to think too much when you’re in that situation not possible we do you say sort of as the future 50 over cricket For this series all the players get rested and it seems to fluctuate the importance depending on the World Cup stuff. Yeah I mean obviously the World Cup and champions trophy are the two major events but you know you’ve still got to build up towards those and try and win every series we play you know that particularly the fast bowlers you know there’s a lot of cricket they need some some breaks it’s been a busy schedule and you know I’ve obviously got a few test matches backing up and those guys are playing all three forms so you know you need a break somewhere and it also just gives an opportunity, sorry, an opportunity for some younger guys to come in that have been on the fringes and show what they’re able to do in international cricket as well so you know in terms of one -day cricket I think it’s a great format you know there’s a bit of sort of everything in the format you know there’s some periods where you need to bat almost like a test match and then there’s periods where it’s a bit like a T20 and it’s, you know, it’s a bit of an in – betweener, so I really enjoy the format.
Do you think it’ll be still around in 15, 20 years? I’ve no idea. I certainly won’t be, but it’s, yeah, I think it is a format that I’d like to see continue here.
