Steve Smith to make one-off Big Bash appearance at SCG

Steve Smith provided as much entertainment in two Big Bash innings last season as some do in a season and he’s back in action on Friday night.

It might only be a single game Big Bash cameo for now, but the “hunger” for success superstar batter Steve Smith brings and the “crowd spice” his presence creates could be the catalyst for an early season explosion of runs at the SCG on Friday night.

Having tossed in the bin any talk of a premature international retirement, the 34-year-old has shown his inclination to making Australia’s T20 World Cup squad next year by extending his recent stay in India to open the batting in the early matches of the five-match series.

Smith made 52 and 19 batting at the top of the order, where he thrived for the Sixers in the last BBL season, smashing 346 runs, from just 198 balls, with two hundreds in just five innings and an incredible 25 sixes a reminder of his freakish ability.

Steve Smith goes BANG to bring up a brilliant 100 for the Sixers! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/1kFYphTq7k

— News Cricket (@NewsCorpCricket) January 17, 2023

He’ll turn out in the Sixers’ season-opener against the Melbourne Renegades as a one-off appearance before jetting to Perth to link up with the Test squad for three clashes with Pakistan.

Long-time Sixers teammate Jordan Silk said even having Smith for just one game was “huge” given the runs he could make, the attention his presence brings, and the atmosphere it could create.

“It’s a huge bonus, the impact he was able to have in what four or five games for us last year was enormous and certainly helped our run towards finals,” Silk said on Thursday.

“And to get him back for a Friday night game at the SCG is awesome for us to be able to kick off.

“Hopefully, he can bring some of that form that he had last year and make another hundred or something here. It would be lovely.”

Silk said there was never a question about how much the Sixers’ success meant to Smith, having captained the BBL franchise in its early days.

“Even when he’s not playing for us, the support’s there. He’s always sending messages out to guys about how well we’re going, so he’s always been a really big part of it,” Silk said.

“He’d be certainly hungry.

Steve Smith loves playing for the Sixers. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

“You saw the impact in just four or five games last year what he can bring to BBL, and certainly there was probably crowd spice when him and Dave Warner and the likes were playing Big Bash cricket and that’s what we want as players.

“Personally, as a domestic cricketer, you want to be playing and rubbing shoulders alongside the world’s best and to have him back in for tomorrow night is such a bonus for not only us as players but all the fans that will turn out tomorrow night.”