Smith: I’m not afraid of Jofra Archer

Steve Smith dismisses Jofra Archer concerns and says he won’t wear stem guard in Fourth Test.

Steve Smith hooks England's Jofra Archer at Lord’s during the second Test

Steve Smith has waved away concerns about Jofra Archer’s bowling, saying the fast bowler might have knocked him out of the game but he has never dismissed him.

It is an observation that’s sure to prick the ears of the seriously quick bowler who struck the Australian on the neck at Lord’s but could not get him out.

Archer hit Smith on the arm and then the neck during the fiery spell, but Smith says there is no need to adjust the way he bats.

“No, I’m not really going to change anything,” he said. “There’s been a bit of talk that he’s got the wood over me, but he hasn’t actually got me out.

“He hit me on the head on a wicket that was a bit up and down at Lord’s. He actually didn’t get me out so all the other bowlers have had more success against me I dare say.

“I’ve faced them a bit more, but they’ve all got me out a lot more. I’m pretty comfortable with that.

“Now it’s just about getting out there and playing the game.”

Archer admitted he was trying to “rattle” Smith and the expectation is England will attempt the same if he is fit for the fourth Test, but the former captain doesn’t mind.

“If they’re bowling up there it means they can’t nick me off, or hit me on the pad or hit the stumps,” he said. “With the Dukes ball I don’t know, that’s an interesting ploy.

“So we’ll see what happens.”

Smith was averaging 126 in the series before the blow. While few could fill his shoes, Marnus Labuschagne has done a fair job, top scoring in each innings since and going at an average of 71.

While Smith then Archer dominated the narrative in the first seven innings of the series, it was the incredible performance by Ben Stokes that has dominated cricket’s conversation since. Many believe his unbeaten 135 to get England over the line at Headingley was the best ever played.

Smith admits that the allrounder’s effort, which drew the series one-all, was inspirational.

“You could just see the passion that he showed and the fight,” he said. “He never gave up.

“You look at him, and I really admire this about him, when he scored a hundred he didn’t even celebrate, didn’t care.

“He had one thing on his mind and that was getting England over the line, and you’ve really go to admire that.

“When you’re in those pressure moments you’ve got to want to be the one to deliver and do what you can for your team.

“He did that exceptionally well, and hopefully some of our boys can learn from that and when we’re faced with similar situations, dig as deep as we can and do whatever we can to get our team over the line.”

Nathan Lyon was dejected after missing a run out that could have won the game for Australia and Smith said he offered him advice from his experience missing 12 months due to the ban.

“I sent Nathan Lyon a message the other night,” he said. “He was a bit down after the game I just said my year out has given me a lot of perspective that that’s all it is, it’s just a game. And whilst it’s important on many levels to win and to play the right way and to do all those kind of things, ultimately it’s just a game. I think that helped him a little bit.”

Smith’s injury sparked a debate around the use of stem guards and some questioning of whether he should have returned to the field — his concussion symptoms were, as they are in many cases, delayed.

“That’s a difficult question because as we’ve seen this series there’s been so many head knocks already,” he said. “Marnus has been hit a few times, Jos (Buttler) got hit at one point, Stokesy’s been hit. If you’re ruling people out from just hits every now and again we won’t have a game. You’ve obviously got to take the advice of the doctor and how you’re feeling and at that point in time I was feeling fine.

“I wanted to go out like any other player would want to go out and try and help their team and you’ve got to take the advice of your medical staff. Had he told me that this isn’t the right thing to do then that’s fine, we cop that on the chin and you get on with things, but he was comfortable and I was comfortable and that was it, just move on and play.”

Smith, ever obsessive about his gear, said he still can’t come at wearing a stem guard.

“I’ve tried them before, and I tried then the other day when I was batting and I reckon my heart rate went up about 30 or 40 straight away,” he said.

“I just feel claustrophobic. I compare it to being stuck in an MRI scan machine.

“It was different, but I think at some point they’re probably going to become mandatory so I’m going to have to get used to them.

“And I’m sure the more I wear them, the more I practice with them, my heart rate will come down and everything will be OK.

“Had I been wearing a stem guard in the game, I’m not sure that would have made a difference, the way my head sort of went back and where it hit me.

“Of course, you always want to have as much protection as possible and for me now it’s about trying it and trying to get used to it in the nets.”