Smith steering clear of row as former Aussie skippers disagree over bans
WHILE Australia’s cricket greats go head-to-head over the ball-tampering bans on Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, the former Aussie captain is letting his cricket do the talking in Sydney.
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AS the public debate over whether Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft should have their bans reduced continues to escalate, the former Test skipper is keeping well away from the furious row.
Opinions remain hotly divided on whether the trio should be allowed back early even after the damning review into Cricket Australia’s win-at-all costs culture, with even former Test skippers Ian Chappell and Mark Taylor in disagreement over whether Smith should captain Australia again.
FIRST ODI: AUSTRALIA V SOUTH AFRICA
CHAPPELL: AUSSIES’ CHANCE AT REDEMPTION
Speaking on Channel 9’s Sports Sunday, Chappell said he had real reservations about Smith reclaiming the leadership when he does eventually return.
“I think he’s going to struggle to ever be a captain again because one of the most important things for a captain is to earn the respect of your players and he’s going to find that hard,” Chappell said.
But Taylor disagreed, saying: “I’m not sure that’s the case, I think the players very much respect Steve Smith”.
Smith hasn’t made any public comments on the issue but whatever his thoughts may be, he’s keeping them to himself for now, maintaining a vow of silence after playing a T20 grade match in suburban Sydney as the Australian team took on South Africa in Perth.
Adopting the tried and true mantra of letting his actions speak for themselves, Smith was on a full charm offensive both on and off the field, but his lips were sealed.
He played a decisive role in his team’s four-wicket win over Manly-Warringah, scoring a brisk and entertaining 40 and sharing a 41-run partnership with Shane Watson (33) after picking up two wickets with his spinners.
Then Smith spent more than an hour signing autographs and posing for photos with hundreds of kids who had flocked to Manly Oval for a rare close-up encounter with Australia’s best batsmen.
If today’s enthusiastic public response was any guide, Smith should already be back in the team but Sutherland’s T20 coach Steve Rixon said it was a complex issue with no simple solution.
“I don’t think it’s black and white,” Rixon told The Daily Telegraph.
“If you go ‘they’ve done their time’, then you’re making a mockery of the adjudication and if you let them go the distance people will be saying ‘well the poor kids, all they want to do is play cricket’
“In Stephen’s case in particular I think he’s hurting the most because he loves being involved with the Australian side, he loves leading the country and he’s still got a massive role to play.”
The one thing Rixon, freshly back in Australia after quitting his coaching job with Pakistan, is sure about is that Smith’s form with the bat is good enough for him to slip seamlessly back into the international arena.
“He’s been hitting the ball as well as I’ve seen him hit it for ages so he won’t have any problems getting back,” Rixon said.
Smith gave a glimpse of his best by smashing three huge sixes as well as three boundaries in his 21-ball knock for Sutherland.
Spectators, and even cars driving past the ground, were at risk of being hit after he starting launching balls over the fence before his innings ended prematurely when he top edged an attempted sweep and Manly’s wicketkeeper captain Jay Lenton sprinted halfway to the boundary to take a diving catch.
“I had the best seat in the house and he played some phenomenal shots today,” Lenton told The Daily Telegraph.
“There’s maybe only one other batsmen in the world who could have played some of those shots and that’s Virat Kohli.
“Steve just looked so good at the crease, he looked settled at the crease and it was nice to watch him for a bit but I’m glad I caught him.”