There are two certainties in life at present; the sun will rise in the east and Steve Smith’s burning desire to bat…and bat…and bat.
The Roar has been showing a video of a club rugby player who went in to make a tackle and suffered an injury from a bad head clash.
What do these two issues have in common?
In the footy game, the referee orders the player from the field because, in the ref’s opinion, he was clearly concussed. The player thought differently and refused to go until the ref very gently said “leave the field, you’ll thank me later in life”, or words to that effect.
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Steve Smith has also suffered a significant “head clash”, this time with a cricket ball and the same advice should be applied to his situation.
There’s lots of temptation to ignore his medical condition. Australia managed to escape with a draw at Lord’s, have only a few days before the crucial Third Test at Headingley and Smith has shown he’s the best batsman on either side by a country mile. The Leeds Test is one Australia cannot afford to lose, given the momentum swing that occurred at Lord’s.
England is fired up and believe they have Australia’s measure, even though they’re one down in the series. If they can scrape a win in the next game, they may get James Anderson back and there’s every chance they could go on to sweep the final two Tests.
Steve Smith will know all that and will clearly realise he’s the main, perhaps only hope Australia has of stemming the tide, given the indifferent form of David Warner, Cameron Bancroft and Usman Khawaja in particular.
If this is coupled with his overwhelming desire to make runs, Smith could try and come back too early and the results for his health and the team’s performance could be grim.
Cricket is entering a realm normally associated with contact sports such as the rugby codes and Aussie Rules. The administrators responsible for managing Steve Smith’s injury need to ignore his importance to the team and focus on managing his condition, just as they do in footy.
(Photo by John Walton/PA Images via Getty Images)
Luke Keary in the NRL is a very good example of a player being concussed and his coach not forcing him back too soon, but allowing Keary and the doctors to make sure he was right to go. No doubt there are similar examples in the other codes.
This may mean Smith is out of the side for more than the next Test. He may well miss the rest of the series, depending how long it takes him to recover fully from this injury, but the emphasis must be on a full recovery.
Sportspeople are regularly carrying niggling injuries into games, but head injuries should not be seen in the same light as a leg or arm injury. It’s not inconceivable that another head injury to Smith, because he wasn’t fully fit, could have a compound impact on his overall health.
Australian cricket fans would love to see him playing the next three Ashes Tests and he should do so – but only if he has completely recovered from the blow to the head. If not, missing the next game or three is not the end of the world.
This man is 30 years old and has at least another 40 or 50 years to enjoy living, all things being equal. As the ref said to the footy player “you’ll thank me in later life”. Smith needs to heed this advice and get his head injury 100 per cent right or risk doing serious damage to his health that could become a problem after he finishes playing.
Peter Hunt
Roar Guru
You're spot on re the Bancroft comparison Paul. I'm sure you're right.
Paul
Roar Guru
hi Peter, apart from the actual injury, I look at the player and the impact they are having on the series. If Cam Bancroft, for example, got cleaned up the same way ( I'm not wishing it on him), I reckon the powers that be would be already penciling in his replacement for Headingley, even if he exhibited the same post-incident symptoms and felt he was fit enough to play in the next Test. That fact that it's the most dominant player in the series, IMO, places a greater burden on making sure he's spot on and not bowing to HIS wishes, or his influence on the series. As I said earlier, I'd love to see him play but it won't be the end of the world if he can't, just as long as his health comes first.
Paul
Roar Guru
Terrific comments Kannga2, exactly what I was thinking but couldn't put into words.
Kannga2
Roar Rookie
Golden If you are still suffering concussion symptoms then maybe you can’t be deemed to be making a accountable decision. And it only takes one hit to kill. If Smith hasn’t got a fully functioning brain because of concussion he can’t be facing a bowler of a hard cricket ball who will be bowling bouncers . His reflexes won’t be one hundred percent
Golden
Roar Rookie
I think you might be addressing Kannga2 there... Yes Smith himself probably really wants to get back out there and maybe that's pause for thought. It's his profession, his life, not ours. This could be overwhelmingly significant for him. Aren't some people discounting his own ability to make a decision for himself with knowledge of all the risks? He's an adult, legally it's fine (assuming he passes protocol tests). Also if we wants to take the risk, a little self determination is ok. I have no idea, I'm not a doctor, but I feel you might be overstating the risks of a head knock. This isn't boxing or martial arts. And there is a big difference between a single knock to the neck from a cricket ball and a career of accumulated hits, whether from punches or front-on tackles in NFL/NRL, week in/week out. Footy is very different to the Smith situation, you can't apply the same logic. Even if Smith gets sconed again by Archer, I'm sure he'll be still dissing up dry commentary in his old age just like Chappelli does now...
Bunratty c
Roar Rookie
Exactly, the neck area where Smith was struck contains vital nerve bundle complexes along with carotid arteries and jugular vein. Vascular trauma can lead to cerebral embolism. This impact is not merely a neck muscular contusion. Furthermore, Smith seems to have experienced quite an explosive concussive force. All serious stuff!
Peter Hunt
Roar Guru
This is a really fascinating discussion! Thanks for your article Paul. Following the Smith incident I read the concussion protocol and it does seem that the symptoms Smith cites are at the lower end of the spectrum; headaches and grogginess. Evidently, he knew where he was after being struck and could cite match details when asked. So it's not a concussion at the higher end of the spectrum. As somebody else pointed out, it's an unusual case because Smith was struck in the neck rather than the head. I don't doubt it, but I didn't know you could be concussed that way. Hopefully Steve is okay and he heeds whatever advice he is given.
Paul
Roar Guru
That wasn't the point I was trying to make, Golden. I was trying to get across the notion that medical professionals are under massive pressure to get the top players back onto the field asap. Couple that with the players stubbornness to realize sitting it out is best for him AND the team and it's easy to see why doctors might cave and allow guys to play prematurely
Paul
Roar Guru
spot on Kannga2. It wouldn't hurt if his mate Khawaja made a few runs either.
Kannga2
Roar Rookie
Anderson is such a different scenario. A 38 year old with a dodgy calf muscle , those around him including the medical staff would have known the risk , but a calf injury is not going to impede your future off the field
Kannga2
Roar Rookie
Smith should probably sit out , but I’ll leave that up to the experts Time for some mental fortitude from mr Warner , redemption from the past and stand up to archer and get a magical ton ....or forever be remembered for South Africa and being a flat track bully
Paul
Roar Guru
hi Golden, many thanks for providing these comments. I can absolutely see where you're coming from. I think there needs to be a degree of nannyism with this situation. Cricket is entering a space normally occupied by body contract sports, all of which are putting in place rules to make sure guys who are concussed are supported in their rehab and not simply supported to get back onto the field as was the case not so long ago. "But I don’t think anyone in the Australian cricket team set up is tempted to ignore his medical condition”. I believe there's one person who is tempted - Steve Smith. I can only go by what I've seen on the box, but he seems first of all totally committed to batting. He must also have tremendous drive and determination, otherwise he wouldn't have amassed the runs he has, nor gone out to bat again after getting hit last Test. You also made the comment to trust the docs, which in this instance, is a worry. I've lost count the times players have been passed fit to play, only to not make it through a game. Obviously Jimmy Anderson in the First Test is an example of this. He declared himself fit, the docs agreed(?) and it's entirely possible his absence cost England that game. The docs will rely heavily on how Smith appears, what answers he provides to their questions, etc. In other words, it won't only be up to the docs, Smith will be providing much of the input they will use to determine his fitness? Will they let him play if he's 80% or 90% right, given he's the best bat in the team, the Ashes are on the line, etc? I don't know, but IMO, he can only play if he's 100% right
Golden
Roar Rookie
While I welcome the tenor of this article and I'm not directly attacking it Paul, this topic has resulted in a little bit of nanny-ism rearing its head. You could define it as, an overbearing need to make statements and rules on behalf of others in line with the "nanny's" superior judgement/common sense. Congrats for understanding concussion is to be taken seriously. Very sensible, and yes, we all want Smith to bat. But I don't think anyone in the Australian cricket team set up is tempted "to ignore his medical condition". All the evidence so far has been to the contrary with CA leading the way on concussions and introducing the new rules to the ICC for their endorsement. So this seems a little overcooked. Cricket is also quite different to football. Once again, not attacking you directly here Paul, just those you seem to know better than the docs. To them I say place your faith in the systems in place and pros tasked to carry out the assessments. The correct decision will be made, the decision will err to the conservative. If all these clever adults get together and assess his condition as "ready to go", then breathe a sigh of relief, sit back, enjoy, and let go of the pearls!
Jeff
Roar Rookie
If Smith sits out the 3rd Test, all the more reason for everyone else to stand up and find their rightful place in the team. If that's the case and we at least get a draw, the Ashes will be Australia's and the team will be well set up for the future. The main thing is Smith is looked after. Bravo to Australia for leading the way on this. Contrasts so much with the booing and back-turning to a player felled.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
It's really hard to say what the situation is with Smith. He didn't seem to get hit in the head/over the brain directly, but rather in the throat. However the reverberations from the jaw/skull base or throwing the head back, or something, has affected him. So hard to know unless you are Smith or the medical staff, but looking purely at footage, it seems like it may be at the "lower end" of concussion/impact. Just need to wait and see I guess. It's a developing area of sports management, for sure.
Val Saunders
Guest
I have just watched the England v Wales rugby game from Cardiff. Playing full back for Wales was Leigh Halfpenny. Halfpenny was concussed playing against the Wallabies last November. This was his first game back - 10 months later. Sure he had been concussed previously but are we seriously thinking that Steve Smith will be fit to play a test match four DAYS after his concussion. The test selectors must surely take into account their duty of care. He may be by far the bast batsman for Australia but if the team really needs him so badly as to risk his health they must be a very poor team. Steve Smith's health first and rely on the team to win the third test!!
badmanners
Roar Rookie
Well said Paul. :unhappy: