Steve Smith faces one of the toughest challenges of his career in Pakistan as he tries to break a form slump in foreign conditions with just a few days preparation after recovering from a nasty concussion.
The Australian team had their first training session at Rawalpindi on Tuesday to prepare for Friday’s first Test and Smith, renowned as one of world cricket’s biggest practice junkies, is looking to cram in as much time in the nets as possible.
He has been restricted in his training for the past two weeks since suffering a concussion while fielding for Australia at the SCG in the T20 series against Sri Lanka.
Smith is coming off a modest Ashes campaign by his own record-breaking standards, 244 runs at 30.5 with a top score of 93 in Adelaide, and has only scored one century in his past 15 Tests stretching back to the 2019 tour of England.
“It’s obviously my first time playing here so getting accustomed to the conditions is really important, having the ability to adapt to whatever we face out in the middle,” Smith said.
“I’m looking forward to training today, it’s the first session back for me facing fast bowling.
“The head’s progressed really well the last few days, I’m feeling in a good space.
“I’m hitting the ball nicely so no concerns from me [about a lack of centuries]. I’ll just go about my business as usual, hopefully hit a lot of balls the next few days and find a nice rhythm going into the first Test on Friday.”
Unlike most Test batters, Smith still manages to thrive away from home, averaging 57.1 with 13 tons in 39 matches outside Australia so if anyone can break their slump in their first match in a country, the 32-year-old vice-captain is a strong candidate for the difficult task.
Australia have not toured Pakistan since 1998 – Smith coincidentally made his Test debut against them in 2010 in a two-match series in England.
“It has been an odd couple of years, this is our first away tour since the Ashes in 2019 which is hard to fathom but we’re excited to be playing some cricket away and challenging ourselves in foreign conditions – that’s something I certainly pride myself on, is my performance away from home.
“The last away tour I performed really well in the Ashes and hopefully I can replicate something similar in this series.
“I love playing on different surfaces and all the different challenges on playing cricket in places all around the world. They all have different aspects to them, whether you’re playing in England on wickets that seam, playing in the subcontinent on spinning wickets or what have you.
“The summer was pretty tough in terms of wickets. The wickets had a fair amount of grass and there was a fair amount of seam movement in a lot of them.”
There have been wildly fluctuating reports about what kind of pitch the Australians are likely to confront for the series opener and Smith said they will have to “adapt quickly on the go” to whatever circumstances they find.
“The next few days will be good, being able to have a hit on the surfaces. I don’t know whether they’re going to replicate what we’re going to get out in the middle, we’ll wait and see,” he said.
“I’m just excited to be here in Pakistan and bringing Test cricket back here as an Australian team.”
Pakistan are ranked fifth on the ICC Test rankings with Australia on top but Smith said the hosts had an extremely talented team. Players like middle-order batter Babar Azam and left-arm paceman Shaheen Afridi are more than capable of turning a match on their own.
In the five matches they have hosted since Test cricket returned to Pakistan in 2019, they have won four times with one rain-interrupted game drawn with Sri Lanka.
Smith said the Australians would not finalise their XI until close to game day after they had fully inspected the wicket. They have the option of bringing Mitchell Swepson or Ashton Agar into the side as a second spinner which could mean Scott Boland, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood could each be in danger of missing out.
JGK
Roar Guru
His latest article: "Why Karunaratne will score a triple ton (or maybe more) in the first test"
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
When Smith loses his fidgets his mojo will most certainly disappear. Gemini rules the hands, that's why so many are good at bat sports. I say, watch his fidgets to get a handle on his path forward
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
I reckon you're right.
John66
Roar Rookie
The introduction of the leg slip seems to have him hesitant to play some shots he played with previous abandon. That and the change of line bowling to him has slowed his scoring down perhaps. Up until Wagner, anything on the stumps was swiftly heading to the leg side boundary. Without looking at his numbers, that is not how it seems, post Wagner.
Chanon
Roar Rookie
It’s a shame but the fidgety Smith might be on a slippery slope hope he proves me wrong!
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
Closer to 33.
The Bush
Roar Guru
So he’s 32? Thought so
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
Yes I did mean by his standards .
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
I think quite the opposite: since Ashes 2019 his scoring rate has plummeted along with his frequency of big scores. I feel he has become far too defensive.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
He's 33 in 4 months.
Martin
Guest
Has anyone else felt like Smith has lost his patience in the last couple of years. It used to be his signature, he would leave and block until the ball was old and the bowlers tired, and before you knew it he was pushing for another hundred. Since returning from England he seems in much more of a hurry to score and is getting out to shots he would never have contemplated before.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
Smith’s ton in Lanka Land was in the dead rubber 3rd test after doing next to nothing in the first two tests that were lost. Not much meaning to be attached to that ton and they lost game anyway. Mind you I think that might be one of only two tests Australia has lost when Smith scored a ton, the other being 4th test in India early 2017.
The Bush
Roar Guru
Who's 34? Smith? Smith's 32...
The Bush
Roar Guru
Only Smith could be called "pretty average" for averaging over 40 in certain countries. I do understand what you mean, but honestly, most batsmen would give their left pinkie to average 41.16 in Sri Lanka and 41.1 in South Africa, with centuries scored in both countries.
John66
Roar Rookie
The injuries from the PSL and now covid are doing plenty to assist Smith in his endeavour to rediscover his mojo.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
agree U with the exception of this potential flat track first test in Pakistan I'm way more concerned about warner than smith at 34 with a poor away record
Pierro
Roar Rookie
I’m backing smith In for some good runs . I’m not sure the pink ball tests in Australia are his forte. let’s see how he goes this series and perhaps right up to English ashes next year and then we can see how his form lines are truely . as we lost him for two years at his absolute peak it’s rather tragic not to have seen him bat in those two years at his prime. 32 is a tricky age but I think he can make 40 plus average in the next 18 months with foreign tours. Warner’s age is the bigger risk especially given his away form. Pakistan may suit him if the first test is a flat track but I think the true test will be how warner bats in India . the Pakistan bowling line up has been decimated already
matth
Roar Guru
Labuschagne and Rohit Sharma have been right up there since 2019.
matth
Roar Guru
He's an interesting case. His away record is better than most of his main rivals, overall records and even their home records (Rohit Sharma, aside)
Nick
Roar Guru
Hey! 8 years ago he hit a century somewhere overseas....