Tag: Steve Smith

Australia captain Steve Smith admitted on Tuesday that the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 would be on their minds when they play Sri Lanka in two ODIs this week.

The ninth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy will kick off on 19 February with host and defending champions Pakistan taking on New Zealand in the curtain-raiser in Karachi’s National Bank Stadium.

Australia are placed in a group with England, South Africa and Afghanistan.

Prior to that Australia will face Sri Lanka in Colombo on Wednesday and Friday, fresh from a dominant 2-0 Test series sweep.

“I’d be lying if I said the Champions Trophy wasn’t at the forefront of our minds — it’s a massive ICC tournament for us,” Steve Smith told reporters in Colombo.

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“While our focus is firmly on finishing this series on a strong note, there is no denying that the Champions Trophy is looming large. We want to make sure we carry good form into that competition.”

Both ODIs will be played as day games, a rarity in modern cricket. The floodlights in Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium are out of action as part of renovations ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted with India.

“Day games are quite different,” Smith said, adding he couldn’t remember his last ODI day match. “But whatever the conditions, it’s going to be warm out there, and we’re looking forward to the challenge”.

Before coming to Sri Lanka, Australia held a training camp in Dubai to prepare for “challenging wickets” in Sri Lanka, said Smith.

“The batters found methods to succeed in these conditions, the spinners worked on varying their pace, and the seamers fine-tuned their reverse swing,” he said. “We hope to bring all that into this series and finish well.”

READ: Hanif Mohammad to be posthumously inducted into PCB Hall of Fame

Legendary Australian captain Ricky Ponting has left Virat Kohli out of the ‘Fab Four,’ which includes the best players of modern cricket, including Steve Smith, Kane Williamson and Joe Root.

Kohli has been under fire recently due to his disappointing performances in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.

While he did score a century in the first Test, which India won in Perth, he posted a series of low scores and managed a total of 190 runs in the five-match series.

Steve Smith is currently in great form, having scored 141 runs in the first Test against Sri Lanka. This was his third century in the last four matches.

During the 141-run knock against Sri Lanka, Smith also completed his 10,000 runs in Test cricket, becoming the fourth Australian cricketer to do so.

Ricky Ponting heaped high praise on his compatriot, rating him as the “best player of his generation.”

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“Is he [Steve Smith] the best player of his generation? It’s hard to argue against it,” The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Ponting as saying.

“Joe Root is the other one now, and [Kane] Williamson’s record is outstanding as well. Joe’s last couple of years have elevated him right back up there, I think.”

Ponting mentioned that Kohli was at his peak five years ago; his records were unmatched. However, in recent years, he has been outperformed by the other three batters in the ‘Fab Four.’

“Five or six years ago, when this big four emerged, with [Virat] Kohli being one of those as well, Joe was probably down near the bottom part of that because he hadn’t made the hundreds the other guys had made, but he’s made 19 hundreds in the past four years,” he added.

“If you asked an Englishman they’d say Joe Root, if you asked an Aussie they’d say Steve Smith, and if you asked a Kiwi they’d say Kane Williamson.

“So it’s a tough one, but on the numbers themselves it’s pretty hard to argue against what he’s done.”

READ: PCB finalizes schedule for Champions Trophy opening ceremony: sources

Steve Smith stood unbeaten on 104 after crossing 10,000 Test runs and helped Australia pummel Sri Lanka alongside fellow centurion Usman Khawaja on day one of the opening Test on Wednesday.

Australia reached 330-2 in 81.1 overs when rain stopped play for the day after the tourists elected to bat first in Galle at the start of the two-match series.

Left-handed opener Khawaja, on 147, and skipper Smith put on an unbeaten stand of 195 to thwart the opposition attack in two wicketless afternoon sessions.

Milestone man Smith got three runs off Nishan Peiris to reach his third ton in four matches as he took off his baggy green and raised his bat to acknowledge the crowd’s cheers.

Steve Smith took the crease in the first session with 9,999 runs and calmly nudged his very first delivery to mid-on for a single off Prabath Jayasuriya.

He became the 15th batsman to 10,000 Test runs and only the fourth Australian to achieve the feat after Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting.

Australia captain survived an early reprieve in his knock when Jayasuriya grassed a sharp return catch in the same over, a chance Sri Lanka would come to rue. He made the hosts pay dearly, crafting a sublime 35th Test century.

Usman Khawaja reached his 16th Test hundred -– his maiden ton on Sri Lankan soil -– after a 17-match drought since his Ashes century in June 2023.

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The ton came with a flick off fast bowler Asitha Fernando to the fine leg boundary, a stroke brimming with elegance and relief.

The 38-year-old had a few heart-in-mouth moments when a couple of edges fell just short of fielders and a reprieve on 74 when he nicked Jayasuriya to the keeper, but Sri Lanka chose not to review the on-field decision.

Another opportunity slipped through Sri Lanka’s fingers with Smith on 90 as Kusal Mendis, slow to react behind the stumps, spilled a bat-pad chance.

Earlier, Travis Head smashed 57 off 40 balls including 10 fours and one six to put Sri Lanka on the back foot right away.

Head, who replaced 19-year-old Sam Konstas as an opener for the Test, put on 92 runs with fellow left-hander Khawaja.

The hosts finally found a breakthrough when Head misfired an ambitious charge against Jayasuriya only to find the long-on fielder.

Jeffrey Vandersay had Marnus Labuschagne caught at first slip for 20 with his left-arm spin.

With three specialist spinners in the Australian XI, the tourists hold all the aces, especially with the pitch expected to deteriorate as the game progresses.

READ: Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Amir look back at Champions Trophy 2017 victory

GALLE: Australia’s stand-in captain Steve Smith achieved the 10,000 runs milestone during the 1st Test against Sri Lanka at Galle International Stadium on Wednesday.

The Aussie run-machine joined Australian legends Ricky Ponting, Steve Waugh and Allan Border in an elite club of 10,000 runs in Test cricket. He also became the 15th player in Test cricket to achieve this milestone.

The 35-year-old reached this milestone on the second ball of the 30th over when he flicked the ball to mid-on’s right and took off for a single. He raised the bat to acknowledge the applause. The right-hander also became the Fifth fastest by innings to get to 10,000 Test runs.

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• 195 innings – Brian Lara
• 195 innings – Sachin Tendulkar
• 195 innings – Kumar Sangakkara
• 196 innings – Ricky Ponting
• 205 innings – Steve Smith

He missed his fairytale moment in front of his home crowd at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) against India in the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy when he was dismissed with his career tally of 9,999 runs.

The stand-in skipper has an impressive average of 55.86 across 114 prior Tests, including 34 centuries since his 2010 debut.

Smith who is also known as the “modern-day Bradman”  is part of a famous quartet of new-era batsmen including India’s Virat Kohli, New Zealand’s Kane Williamson and England’s Joe Root.

READ: PCB Chairman reviews Rawalpindi Stadium upgradation ahead of Champions Trophy

Australia batter Steve Smith on Friday achieved a historic milestone, joining legends such as Pakistan’s Younis Khan and West Indies’ Brian Lara on the second day of the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India.

Smith scored another hundred in the ongoing series and took his centuries tally to 34 during the first innings of the Boxing Day Test.

With his 34th century, Smith came level with Brian Lara and Younis Khan as well as India’s Sunil Gavaskar and Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardene, who all struck 34 centuries each in the format.

It’s worth noting that Sachin Tendulkar leads the chart for most Test hundreds with a mammoth 51 centuries in the format.

Smith is en route to equal two more legends as India’s Rahul Dravid and England’s Joe Root have scored 36 Test hundreds, only two more than the Australian batter.

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It’s worth noting that Smith also holds the record for the most (11) Test centuries against India.

Smith’s century helped Australia post 474 runs in the first innings on the second day after debutant Sam Konstas stole the show on the first day with his entertaining 60 off 65.

Steve Smith padded up on the second day on 68, with Pat Cummins alongside him on eight. They took 15 off one Deep over before Smith hooked Jasprit Bumrah for six to rub salt in the wounds, with India’s body language showing their frustration.

Smith reached his 34th Test century with a boundary off Nitish Kumar Reddy, which came on the back of a return to form in the last Test in Brisbane where he made 101.

READ: Former Pakistan head coach raises question over Shaheen Afridi’s Test snub

Legendary captain Ricky Ponting has advised struggling Australian batters Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith to follow Indian batting maestro Virat Kohli to regain their form ahead of the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Kohli, during the second innings of the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar series against Australia, etched his name in the history books as he struck his 30th century in the format, going past legendary Sir Don Bradman‘s tally of Test hundreds.

Kohli walked out to bat on the third day carrying the weight of four single-digit scores in his last five innings and a 16-month century drought. He last scored a century during the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 semi-final against New Zealand.

However, he displayed a masterclass in strokeplay, marking his return to form with an unbeaten knock of 100 runs off 143 balls, laced with eight boundaries and two sixes.

His innings propelled India to a commanding position before skipper Jasprit Bumrah declared with a staggering 533-run lead. In response, Australia crumbled to 238 all out in the final session on day four.

On the other hand, Australian batters struggled against a fiery pace attack of India. Labuschagne managed a mere five runs across two innings, while Smith was dismissed for a frustrating first-ball duck in the first innings and scored 17 runs in his second innings.

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Despite their disappointing displays, Ricky Ponting remained optimistic, believing that both players have the potential to regain their form.

“Marnus [Labuschagne] looked the most tentative out of all the batters in Perth. Yes, it was high-quality bowling on a difficult wicket, but he needs to find a way to turn it around,” Ponting told ICC Review.

“You have to find a way to take risks and put it back on those guys because you know Bumrahs of the world they’re not going to give you too many easy scoring opportunities and when they do you’ve got to be ready to pounce on it and put it away and try and put some pressure back on them.”

Ponting cited Kohli’s example and encouraged Australian batters to trust in their abilities, drawing a parallel to Virat Kohli, who overcame similar challenges.

“Virat went back to trusting his game and he looked like a different player in the second innings than he did in the first innings,” Ponting said.

“He got away from trying to combat the opposition and focused on his strengths. That’s what Marnus and (Steve) Smith need to do – find their own way and show great intent.”

READ: Australia suffer major blow ahead of second Border-Gavaskar Test against India

Former England captain Nasser Hussain has heaped high praise on Pakistan’s middle-order batter Kamran Ghulam after he scored a century on his Test debut and compared him to Australian batting maestro Steve Smith.

Kamran was included in Pakistan’s Playing XI for the second Test in place of star batter Babar Azam and he made an immediate impact with a century on his debut.

He came into bat with Pakistan struggling at 19-2 inside ten overs and helped the team recover with a 149-run stand with Saim Ayub for the third wicket.

The right-hander played a defiant knock of 118 runs from 224 balls, laced with eleven boundaries and one six before falling prey to Shoaib Bashir.

Nasser Hussain appreciated Kamran after the conclusion of the first day while speaking on Sky Cricket. The former England captain praised the maturity of Kamran’s innings, during which he played both aggressively and defensively according to the balls.

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“He had to wait his turn. He’s been scoring prolific runs in the last three years. He got the right balance between attack and defence. They lost a couple of early wickets – on debut you want to get out there and that will have helped him,” Nasser said.

He went ahead and praised Kamran’s confidence and attitude, drawing a comparison with Steve Smith.

“Pakistan players generally love the sweep shot, he’s got that in his locker. He used his feet as well. He’s got a bit of Steve Smith about him when he defends the ball and charges. He’s got a bit of swagger about him,” he added.

With his maiden Test century, Kamran Ghulam became the 13th player from Pakistan to cross the three-figure on debut.

The last Pakistani player to achieve this feat was Abid Ali, who scored a century against Sri Lanka in December 2019.

Pakistan players to score Test century on debut

1. Khalid Ibadulla vs Australia — 1964
2. Javed Miandad vs New Zealand — 1976
3. Saleem Malik vs Sri Lanka — 1982
4. Mohammad Wasim vs New Zealand — 1996
5. Ali Naqvi vs South Africa — 1997
6. Azhar Mahmood vs South Africa — 1997
7. Younis Khan vs Sri Lanka — 2000
8. Taufeeq Umar vs Bangladesh — 2001
9. Yasir Hameed vs Bangladesh — 2003
10. Fawad Alam vs Sri Lanka — 2009
11. Umar Akmal vs New Zealand — 2009
12. Abid Ali vs Sri Lanka — 2019
13. Kamran Ghulam vs England — 2024

It’s worth noting that Kamran is only the second Pakistani player to score a hundred on Test debut while batting at number four. Prior to him, Saleem Malik achieved this feat in 1982.

READ: Mohammad Haris says players prohibited to discuss India in dressing room

Australia men’s cricket head coach Andrew McDonald has recently opened up about the batting position of senior batter Steve Smith for the Test series against India.

Australia will host India for a five-match Test series, starting from November 22 in Perth. The second match will be played in Adelaide from December 6, followed by the third Test in Brisbane, scheduled from December 14-18.

The iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) will host the fourth match from December 26, while the final Test will be played in Sydney from January 3.

McDonald shared that Australia’s coaching staff is discussing Smith’s role in the upcoming Test matches and he is most likely to open the innings alongside Usman Khawaja.

The head coach shared that the team management will inform Smith’s Sheffield Shield side New South Wales about their plans so that he can get the required practice during the domestic season.

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“That’s the question on everyone’s lips, isn’t it? While we’ve got an eye to it, we haven’t made any firm decisions around that one,” McDonald said on Australian radio station SEN.

“We’ll unveil everything, and we’ll let (NSW coach) Greg Shipperd know what our plans are and then we’ll see what he does with his New South Wales side should Steve Smith play Shield cricket.

“We’ve already had some chats in Sydney initially around what we’re thinking for the summer, and that goes right down to depth bowling and what it looks like, all those hypotheticals and what ifs that we always go through.”

Andrew McDonald also highlighted the issue of moving someone else to open the innings, if Smith is to play in the middle-order.

“Clearly, if we make a shift with Steve Smith, then someone else will have to go to the top,” he added.

“We’ve seen Cameron Green be really successful at number four as well. So that sort of adds layers to the decision-making. But nothing is firm and fixed on at the moment.”

READ: KL Rahul ranks Babar Azam above Travis Head

Former Australia captain and star batter Steve Smith opened up regarding his retirement rumours, stating that he is currently enjoying the game.

“I don’t have any retirement plans, I’m just enjoying playing at the moment. I’m pretty relaxed and I’m looking forward to this summer,” Smith said.

“I think I’ll get a few (BBL) games in this year and then we’ll see where we go from there. Every chance I get, I jump at it,” he added.

The right-handed batter was recently promoted to the top of the order in the Test side after left-handed batter David Warner announced his retirement from the format.

Steve Smith, known for his consistency, however, could not make the most of the opportunity as he is yet to score a single century as an opener in Tests.

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Despite going through a rough patch as an opener, Smith shared that he was upbeat for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India.

“I’m looking forward to the Border Gavaskar Trophy. India is going to be a great challenge, they’re a very good side. We’re the two best Test teams in the world,” Smith stated.

The 35-year-old also commented on Australia’s upcoming white-ball series against England and shared that he “will be there” for the ODI series and will decide his future after that.

“The conversations I’ve had so far are that we’ll go to England and the boys will have the T20s, and then I’m there for the one-dayers and we’ll make a decision after that,” he said.

“Those conversations are happening in the background. I saw some comments that Usman (Khawaja) made and I think he said he likes me down at number four, and I think Marnus (Labuschagne) is of a similar thought pattern.

“I’m happy wherever and I’ll bat anywhere for the team. For me it’s just a position.”

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Former captain Steve Smith and rising talent Jake Fraser-McGurk were notable omissions as Australia named their squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, scheduled to be co-hosted in the West Indies and the United States of America (USA).

All-rounder Mitchell Marsh will captain the side, while veteran opening batsman David Warner has been picked for what is shaping as his final international tournament.

“Mitchell has been an exemplary player and leader within the group for a long period of time,” said Cricket Australia chair Mike Baird.

Test skipper Pat Cummins, paceman Mitchell Starc and explosive batting all-rounder Glenn Maxwell are among the experienced players in the 15-man squad, with 11 having taken part in the 2021 T20 World Cup-winning campaign.

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Selector George Bailey said there had been “long conversations” about whether to include talismanic batsman Smith in the side, following a dip in his limited-overs form.

Bailey said selectors would be keeping a close eye on the 22-year-old Fraser-McGurk, who has been in rampant batting form for the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League.

“Ultimately the balance of the final 15 needs to provide the best chance of being successful in this campaign,” Bailey said.

Australia squad for T20 World Cup

Mitchell Marsh (c), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa

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