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The summer began with Steve Smith, the undisputed premier Test batsman in the world rankings, being chosen as drinks waiter in the ICC’s Test team of the year.
Inexcusable.
Last night at the annual Allan Border Medal, Smith was one of three nominations for Test Player of the Year with David Warner and Mitchell Star, with Starc the winner.
Inexcusable.
Smith wasn’t even nominated for the ODI Player of the Year, that was left to Warner, Mitchell Marsh, and John Hastings, with Warner the winner.
How could any voters possibly overlook Steve Smith as at least a nominee, and vote for Marsh and Hastings?
Inexcusable.
Smith would be the first to admit he didn’t deserve to be nominated for T20 Player of the Year, but neither did Glenn Maxwell, Shane Watson, nor Aaron Finch – with Watson the surprise winner long after his retirement.
Never mind, Steve Smith must be going to win the big one – the Allan Border Medal.
Smith was nominated with Warner and Starc, but lo and behold, Warner was again the winner.
What a dud night for the humble, entertaining, superb captain-batsman-fieldsman – a night he didn’t deserve.
The next couple of months in India will prove to those out-of-touch voters that Steve Smith is the pivotal head of the Australian Test and One-Day team.
Without him neither team would be as successful.
Having said that Steve Smith shouldn’t have had to sit through last nights proceedings, and left empty-handed.
Inexcusable.
But Steve Smith wasn’t the only cricketer sawn off last night, with world class all-rounder Ellyse Perry losing out to her national captain Meg Lanning for the Belinda Clarke Medal.
Inexcusable.
But there were credits, led by Michael Slater as host.
He did a taxing job with professionalism and passion, far more so than the previous host Mark Nicholas.
Hopefully, Channel Nine will install Slater as the station’s coverage host for the rest of the season and beyond.
But it was the three Hall of Fame inductees who stole the show.
David Boon was first up, and all the traits that made him an Australian cricket legend surfaced – his sense of humour, his impish manner, his emotion, and his passion.
Next was the late Betty Wilson who died in 2010 at 88, and who should have been inducted years before when she was alive to enjoy it.
Presenter Mel Jones told the beautiful story of Betty claiming she would dismiss Mel in six deliveries.
“That long?,” Mel queried.
“Even I had my off days,” Betty replied with a grin.
Betty’s nephew Ken did a top job accepted the honour, looking at Allan Border and saying Betty was also known as AB as Aunty Betty, or GAB, Great Aunty Betty.
Then Matt Hayden’s induction had the crowded hall hanging on his every word.
He explained how he found his love for cricket listening to Jim Maxwell on the ABC painting verbal pictures with no television in outback Queensland.
It was a great night, but Steve Smith didn’t deserve to be invisible.