Steve Smith set to benefit to the tune of $2 million from new Cricket Australia contract list

STEVE Smith could become World Cup winner and $2 million man in the space of five days if everything goes to plan for Australia.

Steve Smith sweeps fine during ICC Cricket World Cup match between Australia and Sri Lanka at the SCG. pic. Phil Hillyard

STEVE Smith could become World Cup winner and $2 million man in the space of five days.

If all goes to plan for the hosts, players will still be in celebration mode when Cricket Australia announces their contract list for the coming season and Smith has the most to be excited about.

CA generally like to see players put back-to-back seasons together before splashing out on them as the No.1 seed, and captain Michael Clarke would be hard-pressed to be dislodged from the top if he surges on with his one-day career.

Steve Smith has been in incredible form this season.

But even if Smith doesn’t quite reach the summit of highest paid Australian cricketer, he won’t be far off after his phenomenal summer, with the Test vice-captain and Mitchell Starc certain to be the big movers.

Smith, the Allan Border medallist, new vice captain, best Test and one-day player, and also a member of the Twenty20 set up - embodies the present and future of Australian cricket.

And the top echelon will command in the vicinity of $2 million.

The April contract list announcement won’t be the first time Smith has been thrust among the top dogs, only this time he is ready and equipped to stay there.

Smith was barely out of nappies as an international player when CA threw their faith behind the youngster and rushed him up to No.5 on their contract list for 2011.

An instant million-dollar man, the blond-haired boy from Sydney’s south didn’t yet have the structure in his game or his life to last and he soon tumbled out of the Test and one-day sides and to the bottom of the money tree.

Steve Smith has been incredible in the field as well.

Selectors wisely put him on a red-ball only diet in a bid to strengthen his technique, and gradually through the backwaters of Sheffield Shield cricket, Smith has come back bigger and better.

But even last year, after his breakthrough back-to-back Ashes series, Smith was still ranked outside CA’s top five.

At least Clarke, Mitchell Johnson David Warner, Ryan Harris and Brad Haddin were ahead of him.

Astonishingly Smith was even left on the sidelines for the first one-dayer of this summer.

But since November, Smith’s been on his own planet – averaging a mammoth 92 across Tests and one-dayers.

The rankings are assembled by selectors who determine the most valuable cricketers in the country based on their Test, one-day and Twenty20 contributions.

Steve Smith lifted the Border-Gavaskar trophy.

Whatever the outcome, it’s set to be a massive week for Smith.

In the batting form of his life, Smith will pack his bags for India to participate in the lucrative IPL just seven days after the Cup final in which time he will have also had his name read out as vice captain for the collaborative West Indies and Ashes Test squads.

Since deputising for Clarke as Test captain over the summer, interest in Smith at a corporate level has also sky rocketed.

Australia’s new No.3 isn’t taking his batting form for granted though.

“I think when you’re on those sorts of runs you just need to think as little as possible and just try go out and do the same thing over and over,” said Smith.

“The same routines, you try to start your innings the same.

“Each time you go out there, I think when you’re hitting the ball well you can kind of get stuck thinking you’re out there on 30 before you’ve started.

“For me it’s about starting my innings again the way I’ve started every time and trying to build an innings.”

Likely top 5 on CA contract list:

Michael Clarke

Steve Smith

David Warner

Mitchell Johnson

Mitchell Starc