Cricket World Cup: Michael Clarke says Steve Smith has earned his success through hard work

WHETHER by accident or design, in-form Steve Smith is a product of Michael Clarke’s captaincy and Australian cricket is better for it.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 26: Michael Clarke and Steve Smith of Australia walk out for the national anthem during the 2015 Cricket World Cup Semi Final match between Australia and India at Sydney Cricket Ground on March 26, 2015 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

WHETHER by accident or design, Steve Smith is a product of Michael Clarke’s captaincy and Australian cricket is better for it.

In the current skipper and the future leader, Australia have the two players in their set up who are always without fail, the first to training and the last to leave.

It’s not a bad way to command respect and set a benchmark for success and it ensures the leadership transition should be smooth whenever the time does come.

Michaelk Clarke said he’s not surprised by Steve Smith’s success.

A veteran who has been around the block as often as Clarke doesn’t hand out compliments for free, and rarely does he speak at length about individual players.

But he made an exception for Smith in the bowels of the SCG on Thursday night and based on past hesitations, it was clear he meant what he said.

On last year’s tour against Pakistan in the UAE when Shane Watson was out with injury, Clarke said Smith wasn’t yet ready to be a Test No.3.

Midway through this World Cup he declined to comment when asked if the young buck was now ready for the responsibilities of first drop.

But after Smith’s magical hundred in the semi-final against India and on the verge of a World Cup final on home soil, Clarke anointed Smith as the new lynchpin in the Australian batting order in all formats.

Steve Smith’s value to the Aussie line-up is immense.

Clarke’s confidence that Smith is unquestionably the future, is born not out of the 25-year-old’s seven summer hundreds that everyone sees.

But out of the fact that the morning after every one of those triumphs, Smith has been the first man alongside him on the bus.

“I can’t speak highly enough for the way he’s batting at the moment,” said Clarke.

“He’s showing his class.

“But most importantly, the one thing I’ve learnt throughout my career is getting into good form and scoring runs is a fantastic feeling, but still to go to training the next day to work on your game to try to become better is one of the hardest things to do in this game.

“That’s what makes you a great player.

“That’s what I’ve been really proud with Smithy – he’s still training extremely hard, he’s still getting there early, still doing the work even though he’s batting so well. I can’t say I’m surprised he’s getting the results he’s getting. He’s earned it.

“He’s standing up and he’s made the most of the opportunity he’s got at No.3 in one-day cricket.

“He was ready for it, he’s been ready for it for a while.

“It was just about getting that chance, and Test cricket’s no different – he’s ready for that (role) as well if he gets the opportunity.”

On a day off for the team in Auckland earlier this World Cup, Clarke trained while everyone else played golf and drank wine.

Due to his chronic back injury, Clarke is up at 5.30am every day to get himself on the park.

Smith doesn’t have the injury dramas to go with it but he’s adopted the same mindset as his skipper.

It’s not uncommon for Smith to bat hours longer than his teammates in the nets and on days when others are back in their rooms playing Play Station.

It’s meticulous and at times agonising commitment – especially on the shoulder of batting coach Michael Di Venuto – but it works.

Clarke has 36 international hundreds, and from just a few years in the business, Smith has 16.

There have been concerns raised about the culture in the Australian dressing room under Clarke and his relationship with other players.

But if the meteoric rise of Smith is anything to go by, Clarke’s mantra of hard work ought to be his lasting legacy as skipper.

As Allan Border and Steve Waugh would attest to, captaining Australia isn’t a popularity contest.

And Clarke’s passing down of the baton to Smith is high praise indeed.