3rd Test Australia v South Africa: Steve Smith retirement thoughts should ring alarm bells
COMMENT: At 33 and at the peak of his powers, the whispers won’t go away about Steve Smith. But Cricket Australia must do everything in its powers to convince him to play on.
Australian selectors must do whatever it takes to keep Steve Smith playing for at least another two summers.
The fact is Smith is unsure of what lies ahead and the sobering prospect of losing the best since Bradman while he’s still in his prime is something Australian cricket should fear, and needs to take seriously.
It’s understandable David Warner and Usman Khawaja might be 12 months or so from retirement at age 36, but having Smith – who is three years their junior – hang the gloves up in the same time period would be one exit too many and too soon.
The team simply can’t afford Smith to bow out at such a sensitive time when a transition is looming, not when NSW can’t produce a batsman and the production line of run-makers around the country is thin.
Clearly retirement is an individual call, and to a certain extent there’s nothing Australia can do should Smith suddenly wake up after the Ashes later this year and decides he’s had enough.
But now is the time for Australian cricket to proactively ask Smith what he wants. Let him know how badly he is wanted in the dressing room and hopefully it prolongs that sense of enjoyment and fulfillment he says he still feels at the moment, but doesn’t know how long will last.
Smith has said little about Sandpapergate and has kept a lot inside over the years, but there is no doubt the intensity and depth of the fallout caused him great personal trauma – as it did Warner and Cameron Bancroft – and it would be naïve to think all those scars have fully healed.
What does Smith still want from the game?
Smith is financially set up from cricket and his Koala mattresses business, has an apartment in New York City and has already intimated he could see himself spending a lot of time in the city that never sleeps in retirement.
Cricket Australia needs to make sure the flame that’s still flickering inside Smith stays ablaze like the State of Liberty.
Why not encourage Smith to phase out of the extra demands of ODI cricket after this year’s World Cup and spend as much time in Manhattan as he likes.
Heck, approach the New York Yankees about installing a net and bowling machine for him in the Bronx if that will keep Smith in his happy place and still playing in the Australian Test team.
Smith said on Fox Cricket on Friday he feels he can help mentor the generation of emerging players and will form the backbone of it when he is gone.
It’s up to Australia to encourage that mentoring, part coaching role, and make it as comfortable for Smith to play on as possible.
The vice-captaincy is among the most important jobs in Australian cricket. So much of their work goes unrecognised. But it’s a great role for Smith, a great arrangement for Pat Cummins, and Australia cannot take it for granted.
Earlier this summer, Cricket Australia did take Smith for granted when it originally refused to offer him the money he deserved to play in the Big Bash.
Smith was hurt by the principle of what that said and it would have been the game that suffered not Smith had CA chief executive Nick Hockley, to his credit, not come around and made it right.
The lesson is Australia can’t afford to take Steve Smith’s Test career for granted, because it’s the team that will suffer.
FOR ALL THE ‘ACTION’ AT THE SCG ON DAY THREE, READ ON WITH OUR BLOG FROM THROUGHOUT THE DAY BELOW
SYDNEY RACKS UP UNWANTED TEST WASHOUT RECORD
3.51PM: DONE AND DUSTED - SYDNEY RACKS UP ANOTHER WASHOUT
They’ve called the end to play here - the end of a frustrating day.
For the second day in a row Usman Khawaja remains stranded on 195. He’ll be as frustrated as every punter who waited in the rain for six hours without seeing a ball.
Unfortunately it’s washout No.26 for Sydney, and the crowd are not happy - a smattering of boos ring out around the ground upon the announcement.
Play will resume at 10am on Saturday morning. Will Australia continue batting, or declare at 4-475? Plenty of questions to ponder with two days still to play.
By popular demand, complete days washed out in Test matches in Australia:
— Ric Finlay (@RicFinlay) January 5, 2023
0 Perth (47 Tests)
1 Hobart (14)
2 Adelaide (81)
8 Brisbane (67)
9 MCG (115)
25 Sydney (110)
24 Manchester (+ 2 abandoned Tests)
3.25PM: THE BRIEFEST OF CENTRE WICKET INSPECTIONS
There’s 11 people out in the middle of the SCG - and while it’s not the South African fielding team, it’s still raised a massive cheer from the Brewongle stand.
It’s 10 members of the ground staff and, it appears, the fourth official having a discussion while inspecting the covers and mopping up excess water.
The activity has been enough to bring some Australian players from out of the dressing room, with Matt Renshaw popping in to have a look while three teammates kick a ball around.
But as soon as they’re out there, they’re quickly retreating as the rain returns. Renshaw remains in the middle... but huddled underneath an umbrella.
3.00PM: REFUND DETAILS... IF RAIN PERSISTS
I’m not saying we’re done here - although the lack of movement from the ground staff does speak volumes...
But to the good souls who are reading this blog from the stands around the SCG, a reminder of what needs to happen for you to get a full refund from today.
If fewer than 15 overs are bowled in a day of Test cricket, and no result is recorded for the match on the day, then fans are eligible for a 100 per cent refund.
Not an ideal outcome if you’ve turned up for your big day of Test cricket for the year. And hopefully the clouds clear and the teams are back out there - potentially for long enough for Usman Khawaja to bring up his 200?
But if they don’t, refunds will be in order on what could be a very costly day for Cricket Australia.
2.10PM: SOMEONE BUILD AN ARK
Spare a thought for the braves souls who are refusing to budge from their seats in the various stands around the ground - the Victor Trumper and Bill O’Reilly stands both have a decent chunk of people still hanging around.
Because the rain is heavier now than it’s been all day. It’s biblical! Someone needs to build an ark to ensure the Australian and South African cricket teams can get back to their hotels.
It certainly doesn’t seem likely that any Test cricket is getting played.
Which leaves the match in a precariously placed position.
Australia are 4-475 - a fine position to be in midway through day two, but far less so after three days.
Pat Cummins’ captaincy boldness will surely be tested here. Will he deny Usman Khawaja the chance to get a maiden Test double century, a mark of which he is just five runs shy?
With two days remaining, does he back his bowlers to take 20 South African wickets? And, if presented with the option, would he defy recent convention from Australian captains and enforce the follow-on?
Only four wickets have fallen across three days of cricket, but such has been the dominance of Australia’s bowlers and the brittle nature of South Africa’s batting, nothing seems beyond Cummins’ crew.
1.10PM: LUNCH OVER, COVERS STILL ON
Time has officially expired on the lunch break, but there’s no progress here at the SCG. It’s not exactly raining.... the occasional drop here and there.
But the radar shows little promise, certainly not enough for the ground staff to entertain the thought of removing the covers.
And the grim outlook has filtered through to those in the stands as well.
On a quick walk around the ground the conversations are less “when do you reckon we’ll get on?” and more “Paddo Inn or Paddo RSL?”, because plenty of fans are leaving the ground for warmer venues.
Meanwhile, I can confirm that there is some cricket played within the SCG walls - but it’s by a group of enterprising kids who have got a game going with a tennis ball and an umbrella.
12.34PM: IS IT RAINING? YES. YES IT IS
More bad news, I’m afraid.
The umpire inspection didn’t even get off the ground. The covers have returned and the rain is back as well.
At least it’s happening through the lunch break but... the long-term outlook today isn’t terrific.
12.10PM: EARLY LUNCH CALLED
An early lunch has been called at the SCG, in the hope that the ground staff can get enough clear weather in the next 40 minutes to get everything up to speed.
However due to the wet outfield the official lunch time will remain at 12.30pm. How very cricket.
But umpires will inspect the outfield and everything else during the lunch break to provide a restart time.
Optimism? Yes. But let’s continue to do the dance and hope there’s cricket later in the hour...
12pm - RAIN UPDATE: ONLY ONE COVER TO GO
The larger outer covers have been removed, leaving just one which protects the centre wicket - and has HELP emblazoned across it, as part of the NRMA Insurance sponsorship.
It seems desperately appropriate, given the precarious nature of Sydney’s weather right now.
But the umpires have joined in the middle to talk about conditions. As they do that, another cloud passes overhead and Sydney has lost its sunny disposition.
The crowd remains upbeat, however.
11.45AM - GROUNDSTAFF GET BIGGEST CHEER OF THE DAY
It’s been an hour since we last spoke and.... there is a tentatively positive update from the SCG.
There’s been a break in the rain, the umbrellas have dropped in the crowd and rain ponchos removed by the security guards protecting the centre wicket covers.
And more importantly, the ground staff and umpires have arrived in the middle to assess the situation.
And their presence brings the loudest - and, well, probably the first - cheer of the day from the stubborn SCG crowd that refuses to be deterred by the rain.
The covers, it seems, are going to come off.
Hopefully this means that the curator has had a close eye on the radar and thinks there is a decent chunk of clear air to get everything ready.
As discussed earlier, it can take an hour the ground ready and the players warmed up, before play often resumes.
10.45AM - THINGS LOOKING GRIM AT THE SCG
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I think we are looking at a genuine all-day wash-out here.
There are pools of water on the edge of the playing field, sweeping rain that is lashing the brave fans who remain in their seats, and a radar which isn’t offering anything other than more concern.
As cricket fans I am sure I don’t need to remind you of the specifics around getting play to restart - and how much clear weather is needed for that to happen, but I’ll give a reminder anyway just in case.
Essentially, you need the rain to stop for long enough to clear the covers, dry the outfield and make the ground playable. This process usually takes about 15-25 minutes, but only after there’s been a sufficient period of time without rain already.
Players will also use this time to warm up, which can also take another 15-20 minutes, before play is able to actually resume.
It can take anywhere between 30 and 60 minutes to actually get everyone back on the park.
However - and this is the crucial part on a day where the rain is sweeping across the ground every half hour at worst - everything resets when even the lightest shower hits. No play can start, even in misty rain which players would normally perservere through.
Which is why I have a bit of a pessimistic view around how many overs we might be able to get in today.
10.10AM - SMITH CLARIFIES ‘CRYPTIC’ RETIREMENT PLAN
Steve Smith has moved to clarify his ‘cryptic’ retirement talk which flowed out of his press conference after the second day’s play.
Speaking after notching his 30th Test century, a feat which moved him past the great Sir Donald Bradman (29) into outright third on Australia’s all-time list, Smith made the bombshell admission that he may not return for another home Test summer.
“I don’t know - we’ll see. I’m enjoying it at the moment. I really can’t say how long I’ll play for. I’m not sure,” Smith offered when asked if he would be back in Australia for more summers to come.
But after arriving at the wet SCG on Friday morning, Smith admitted to being a bit ‘cryptic’ about his answer - and insisted he wasn’t ready to hang up the boots yet.
“I was a little bit cryptic there. I’m not going anywhere right now I’ll tell you that,” the 33-year-old Smith said.
“I am getting older and I’ll take it tour by tour, but I have no immediate plans to stop playing.”
Australia has huge tours of India, in February, and then later the Ashes in England - Test series which will be enormous in the context of assessing this Australian group from a historical standpoint.
9.45AM: PLAY DELAYED TO START DAY THREE
Hello and welcome to a wet SCG where the annual Jane McGrath Pink Day is a facing the grim reality of an on-and-(mostly)-off day of Test cricket.
Walking into the ground where volunteers are accepting donations in return for pink bandanas, the sales pitch was a bit unnerving for fans hoping for a big day of cricket.
“Get the hottest fashion accessory of the summer - a pink bandana, and it is perfect if you need to dry your seat.”
That feels like a fairly accurate assessment.
We’re officially 15 minutes from the start of play but there is no chance of it starting on time - the heavy covers are on, and drizzle is falling regularly.
9AM: SOGGY START TO SPOIL SCG TEST
Another soggy start is on the cards to spoil the cricket in Sydney this morning.
A high chance of showers is threatening to ruin another day’s play as dense grey clouds loom over the city.
Fresh, gusty southerly winds up to 35km/h are also whipping up wild, wintery conditions - a far cry from the hot, humid summer that’s been promised.
The Bureau of Meteorology warned it was “not looking brilliant”.
“We’re going to have showers streaming in all day. It might miss the actual cricket ground, but there’s a good chance there’ll be showers drizzling on and off for most of the day,” meteorologist Helen Kirkup said.
“(The system) is coming in off the coast. Through the middle of the day we could get heavier showers, but they’re going to be very hit and miss.
“There will be breaks in the cloud (and) it may ease off by this evening.”
Sydney is expecting to reach a maximum temperature of 25 degrees but only “if the city gets a big enough break in the cloud”.
THE BALL THAT CAN REVIVE TEST MATCH CRICKET
- BEN HORNE
Human Civilization has managed to put man on the moon, so why can’t it produce the ultimate pink ball to save Test cricket from constantly being left red faced?
This is the question Australian Cricketers Association Chairman Greg Dyer wants answered as he called on the game’s international and local administrators to properly invest in ending the game’s bad light farce once and for all.
Stopping play for drizzle has been the other black eye for cricket this Sydney Test, with one official wondering when John Cleese was going to walk out onto the SCG, so comical were the scenes on Thursday morning when play was stopped and then restarted again within 15 minutes.
The Monty Python soundtrack Always Look on the Bright Side of Life was easier to sing than do at the gloomy SCG, as one former International Cricket Council board advisor lamented the fact the game has actually gone backwards in the past five years on a pledge to try and play through trying conditions more often.
When asked whether a pink ball could solve cricket’s bad light crisis, Australian star Marnus Labuschagne said after play on day one “I hope not”, in a scathing assessment of the quality and attributes of the pink ball for Test cricket.
Players’ chief Dyer believes the pink ball is the answer to Test cricket’s light problem, but only if the game can finally get the ball right.
Ball manufacturers have so far been unable to make pink balls like they do red balls – and Dyer says it’s time for cricket administrators to take on the responsibility themselves and pour research and development into fixing the problem once and for all.
“So we never have light affecting matches again,” Dyer said.
“It should be the game investing in that not leaving it to manufacturers
“Players would help invest in the research and development to make that happen.
“I’m an advocate for as much day night cricket as possible because the experience for the spectator is better, but we’ve got to get the ball right.”
Steve Waugh believes cricket could start by introducing a pink ball mid-Test if bad light forces play to stop with a red ball.
However, Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley doesn’t believe interchanging the colour of balls mid-match is a viable solution.
“I think changing of the ball during play is really problematic,” Hockley said on SEN.
“I think that introduces a little bit too much variability into the game. When you take the new ball, the state of the ball is a key part of the nuance of Test cricket.
“Calls for a pink ball, I can’t see that getting too much traction.”
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