Aussie skipper Steve Smith ‘embarrassed, humiliated’ in wake of huge loss to South Africa

AUSSIE skipper Steve Smith has delivered the most powerful press conference of his career, declaring he is embarrassed and angry about the team’s performance.

An angry Steve Smith addresses the media after Australia’s huge defeat.

AUSTRALIA captain Steve Smith has delivered the most powerful press conference of his career, declaring he is embarrassed and angry about the team’s performance and indicating he may not always be getting the XI he wants from selectors.

Smith revealed he and other Aussie batsmen would be sent back to Sheffield Shield cricket starting on Thursday, in an unprecedented move leading into the third Test of a series.

Cricket Australia chief James Sutherland and high performance boss Pat Howard are currently on their way to Hobart as the storm gathers around the underperforming team.

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Australia were utterly humiliated by an innings and 80-run defeat in Hobart and after surrendering a third-straight series loss to South Africa on home soil, are now in danger of being whitewashed in their own backyard for the first time in Test history.

The skipper was lukewarm about the case being put forward by players in Shield cricket, and issued a call to arms for cricketers who are willing to instil pride in the baggy green and put in him for him.

An angry Steve Smith addresses the media after Australia’s huge defeat.

Smith said he’d had enough and admits Australia will likely have to reinvent their entire approach to cricket from the selection table down to the batting crease.

“Yeah it’s (humiliating). I’m embarrassed to be sitting here to be honest with you,” said Smith, who was both emotional and strong in his address to the media.

“Too many times we’ve lost wickets in clumps. 8-32 today, 10-85 in the first innings and you’re not winning any games of cricket when you’re doing that.

“It’s happening way too consistently for my liking.

“We’re not being resilient, we’re not willing to tough it out and get through tough periods.

“Right now it’s not good enough.

The Aussie skipper saw the batting procession first hand.

“I am hurting.

“I need players that are willing to get in the contest and get in the battle and have some pride in playing for Australia and pride in the baggy green. That’s what I need.

“At the moment it’s not good enough and I’m quite sick of saying it to be honest with you. It’s happened five Tests in a row.”

Asked if he was getting the team he wants from selectors, Smith was coy in his response.

“Look it’s obviously talked about and I do talk to the selectors quite a bit and in the end it’s up to them to pick the team they think is best for whatever conditions,” he said.

“So I’ve got to back their job and go out there and support our guys and do what we can to win cricket matches. But obviously at the moment we’re not doing that and it’s not working.”

Smith conceded the entire system was broken and admitted he was angry.

“It’s not working so obviously on the back of five losses there’s going to be a lot talked about in regards to selection and things like that and we’ve got to start finding a way to turn things around,” he said.

“Whether the ball is seaming or swinging or spinning, we don’t have an answer at the moment.”

Smith indicated the selectors might need to re-write their game plan and instil a youth policy.