Revitalized Smith eager to return to action

Steve Smith laughs as he talks about his first tour nets session. He seems more shocked by his own admission than anything else, if anything.

“I immediately asked Ron (Andrew McDonald) if we could play tomorrow after leaving my first show. I’m prepared to leave. Since I missed Mohammed Shami’s full toss in the Champions Trophy, I hadn’t hit a ball.

It’s hardly a response that would have prompted surprise or laughter in any other situation. We’re talking about one of the best Test batters, after all. And at this point in his career, it should be no surprise that he feels prepared for combat after just one hit in the nets.

However, this is Steve Smith. He also does things his own way, even when it comes to getting ready with the bat.

Around this time, he’s talking about finding his hands after a few training sessions following an offseason. His feet are causing him anxiety. Sometimes he even tries to move his hold. However, he only needed one blow this time to feel prepared to face Kagiso Rabada and the rest of the formidable South African attack at Lord’s the following week.

So let’s get Smith himself to explain how strange that is.

“When I got my first hit, I thought it was weirdly satisfying. It usually goes like this: I have a good first hit, a bad second hit, and then I get better. However, I thought, “Hopefully, it doesn’t turn around now and I don’t have to spend hours in the nets the next couple of days,” because both hits were simply so terrific. But no, everything kind of fell into place right away,” he replies, still in awe of this surprising event.

However, it might have been predicted. Smith’s preparation for the World Test Championship final, which entailed spending two and a half months at home in New York, was, to put it mildly, unconventional. Even if it was self-imposed, it was particularly noteworthy because it included the 36-year-old star batter’s startling habit of putting his bat away entirely.

“Normally, I would find a bat lying around the house and pick it up to do some shadow batting and other things. However, I deliberately chose to attempt to ignore it for a while. It was also pleasant. I checked to make sure my bat was out. I pulled out my golf clubs and played with them for a little while. But, as is uncommon for me, I didn’t even pick up a bat until we had our first hit the other day,” he says.

“It felt good to simply pick up the bat and return to the setup. And in a way, I felt as though I hadn’t even stopped this. So that felt good,” he continues.

All of this is a result of a deliberate choice Smith claims to have made over the past 18 months or so to become a little more laid back, get away from the relentless scrutiny of cricket, and allow his “mind wander free,” as he puts it. This has been aided by the fact that he spends the most of his free time in the United States playing golf and sharing videos on social media of himself enjoying everything that New York has to offer.

Additionally, he has continued to use a more laid-back approach to his batting routines, beginning with comparatively less time spent hitting balls. As anyone who regularly watches him in the nets would confirm.

“I believe I’ve made an effort to hit less balls in the past several years. Throughout my career, I have hit a lot of balls. It actually depends on how I’m feeling at the moment, although it doesn’t usually turn out that way. In order to attempt to keep my mental side as concentrated as possible when I’m out in the middle, I’d like to hit less coming into a series. In Perth last year, I recall discussing this with Mike Hussey. And he said, “We’ve hit a lot of balls as I’ve gotten older.” What do they say? I guess it’s kind of like riding a bike.

“For the important occasions, it’s about keeping that brain side as activated as possible. Moreover, you don’t want to exhaust yourself in the nets. Of course, there is a delicate balance. I’m the type of person that needs to feel extremely ready. In order to be ready to play when I get to the middle, I also want to make sure that I’ve prepared myself completely. Additionally, I’ve come to the realisation that as you age, your mental faculties likely become less strong. And if you want to bat for extended periods of time, you have to aim to be in the best position possible in the middle,” he says.

Even while it differs from Steve Smith’s more conventional preparation with bat in hand, it is effective as he enters Lord’s fresh off four hundreds in the previous five Test matches, during which he appears to have returned to his best as a Test hitter. He is aware of this truth.

Enquire as to whether this is the most at ease he has ever been in terms of understanding his position in life and in cricket. Smith considers it and calls it a “good question” before accepting the supposition.

“I haven’t experienced any significant pressure. For a long time, I guess. I haven’t been particularly pressured since I’ve been a member of the team for a long.

“I think the most I’ve ever felt was probably a little after Adelaide last year. And perhaps that’s why I was so eager to score well in Brisbane when I played the following game. However, that was outside conversation, and I deal with things on a daily basis. I get messages on what others are saying. Therefore, I’m not sure; perhaps something clicked with me and I wanted to return to a slightly more comfortable position. But I don’t give it much thought. I simply take each day as it comes, try my hardest, and get ready to perform as best I can. And that’s really all you can do,” he states in a pretty practical manner.

His decision to take occasional breaks from cricket has also given him the opportunity to focus on other areas of his life, such as hiring Australian personal trainer Nick Herod to help him in the US. For good measure, Smith has also started sharing frequent updates from his gym on Instagram in recent weeks.

“I’ve enjoyed my time in New York for the past few months. I’ve been seeing Nick two or three times a week, attempting to make the most of my three months off, I suppose, in order to strengthen myself. It’s been a terrific training block since I feel stronger than I have since maybe 2014. It’s been fun. Just being able to do a couple different exercises that I felt were helpful and a few other things that I probably hadn’t done before made it a very excellent block.

My hips seem to be in the best shape they’ve been in a while. I feel like I’m dropping significantly, which I believe could help me in the slips. Thus, constantly working to get better and just becoming stronger and more mobile. “It’s nice to have that time to do that because I’m getting older now, at 36,” Smith adds.

The question of how Smith’s late conversion to golf relates to his renowned Test batter’s more relaxed, free-spirited approach to batting is curious.

“It really ruins me mentally,” he says, laughing. My issue is that I don’t strike them as hard as I’d like to. No, I believe the game is cool. It was just a few years ago that I became interested in it. It’s clear that many of the guys have been playing for a while.

“On the course, you can discuss anything you like. Simply put, it’s pleasant to move around. Prior to this, we clearly had a pleasant short excursion to Scotland. Everyone was playing, and it was a good way to bond. Along with enjoying some lovely courses, we had a great time. Getting back together after a long time was good for all of us.

“The game is enjoyable. I wish I was a tiny bit better at this game since it’s really annoying. He laughs again and continues, “Perhaps I’ll have a little more time in the future and get better.”

Does that imply that he and Marnus Labuschagne discuss golf more than they discuss batting? And Smith responds with a pat.

“No, not at all. I must find time for other activities. However, thousands of balls facing in the nets are no longer part of that something else. Because Steve Smith is now doing things quite differently.