SIMON HUGHES: Much of what Smith does is inexplicable, or incomprehensible. His batting is surreal. He is touched by genius. Geniuses often do strange things. At times they are oblivious to the world around them
Tim Paine apologises for Ravichandran Ashwin comments during SCG draw
When I watch Steve Smith bat I think of Jonathan Trott: totally dedicated to his art, completely immersed in the business of scoring runs, addicted to routine, at times obsessive.
In the dressing room Trott was so fussy about his kit he used to prop up his bats with his favourite in the middle of the line as it was always the one on the end that people picked up and fiddled with.
Do you remember how repetitively he used to remark his guard, slowly and methodically redrawing the line with his spikes after every single ball faced and often at the non-striker’s end as well?
Once at Lord’s in a Test against Bangladesh he struck the winning runs and then, as Kevin Pietersen jogged up the wicket for a congratulatory hug, he watched slightly incredulously as Trott dutifully remarked his guard again.
“Trotty, the match is over!” we shouted from the commentary box. It was almost irrelevant to him. Having made 226 in the first innings and 36 not out in the second he just wanted to carry on batting oblivious to his surroundings or the match situation.
Smith is the same. He’s a bit eccentric. He doesn’t like ‘seeing his shoelaces’ when he’s batting so tapes them round the back of his ankles. He doesn’t like anything distracting him at the crease. He loves batting. He craves it. He can’t think about anything else.
Smith has come in for criticism since footage emerged of him scratching a guard while fielding in the final innings of the third Test at the SCG
Even when he is not at the wicket he will always be batting somewhere, if not in the nets – or recently facing his wife’s throwdowns - then in his head. He goes to bed thinking about batting – “I lie awake imagining its Broady or whoever coming into bowl with three slips and a gully, cover, mid-off, thinking about where I am going to score, which is not ideal when I am supposed to be sleeping,” he told me in an interview recently.
He shadow-bats in the hotel room or the dressing room, at second slip, or standing at the crease between overs. He is constantly playing shots with an imaginary bat. He can’t help himself.
That is the only explanation for his behaviour at the crease that were caught on stump camera after a drink’s break in India’s second innings in Sydney.
He stands at the wicket initially as a left hander, imagining he is facing Nathan Lyon (as Rishabh Pant was about to do) then swivels round and remarks his own guard as if he was still batting (not surprising given he spent over nine hours at the crease in the match, scoring 130 and 81).
The psychology of playing cricket in an empty ground
He retreats to his fielding position as Pant arrives at the wicket and routinely checks his guard – on the other side of the stumps from where Smith had been – as all batsman do at the beginning of every session.
Neither player thought anything of it, and I have never heard of anyone scuffing out a batsman’s guard. Yet Smith’s actions subsequently incited international outrage, initiating a tsunami of accusations. “Once a cheat, always a cheat”.
The keyboard warriors had a field day. They became so inflamed about it they even abused me for defending him, and lambasted me for sympathising with him after Sandpapergate (which I didn’t). What Smith was actually doing – confirmed by Tim Paine – was first looking at the pitch from a left-hander’s perspective trying to visualise where Lyon should bowl to Pant, before swivelling round and subconsciously preparing to face Lyon himself.
Smith had earlier hit a century in the same game
There is nothing in the laws of cricket, by the way, that says he cannot do this.
Much of what Smith does is inexplicable, or incomprehensible. His batting is surreal. He is touched by genius. Geniuses often do strange things. At times they are oblivious to the world around them.
His behaviour in Sydney merely reaffirms that.
He was weak in allowing the ball tampering in Cape Town but he learnt a very hard lesson. We should not be worrying about his morality any more. But we should be worrying about the torrent of vitriol unleashed on his inoffensive antics.
Posted by Seri Ossly on 22/01/2021 at 09:55
Such an innocent action, just like Langer tipping the bails off and the team appealing. 'Cos nothing in the rulebook says he couldn't have done that as well.
Posted by AK on 14/01/2021 at 21:47
I don't agree.. somebody should have talked to Smith abt it if he has a habit of removing batsmen's guards. It's funny he talks about there being no rule. Mankading has a rule yet many pundits think it's against spirit of game. Shouldn't this be one of those?
Posted by M Hayward on 14/01/2021 at 20:55
Neither 'genius' nor 'eccentricity' excuse unsporting behaviour. Simon Hughes gives Steve Smith a bucks pass. He is wrong just as Smith was wrong. With great talent comes great responsibility. Smith is a role model. A role model caught cheating (again).
Posted by Dharmendra Vaidya on 14/01/2021 at 20:42
Wow Seriously that's going some way to defend his action, besides his batting ability. Let's face it Ausie simply don't like losing simple as that
Posted by Edward longshanks on 14/01/2021 at 19:47
What a load of Aussie derived drivel.Anyone who has played or plays the game knows full well to keep away from the wicket when fielding against the opposition.Smith knew fine well what he was doing (four times he scored the surface)and got caught by the stump camera. It is called dissent and is clearly defined as such in the rule book and should be treated as such accordingly ,so please don't insult cricket fans around world by justifying his disgusting cheating antics passing them off as another eccentric smith hard luck story.
Posted by S Kumar on 14/01/2021 at 18:04
Sir you can keep on defending the genius of Smith But the fact of the matter is repeatedly doing things which brings disrespect to him.and the game cannot be overlooked. Genius like Bradman did not do it. And to add , Cricket is a gentleman's game and Smith doesn't behave like one,
Posted by Alan Crane on 14/01/2021 at 16:59
Just love watching him bat
Posted by Jerome yarrau on 14/01/2021 at 16:22
I saw what he was doing on TV. From all indication he using his foot to dig on the surface of the wicket where Pant has made the mark, this is unbecoming of Smith who has a history of tampering.
Posted by derek on 14/01/2021 at 15:55
I am, for my sins a Zimbabwe supporter. When it comes to Eng v Oz I cannot be neutral, and I lean on hoping England wins the ashes. But all this vitriol against SS, TP and OZ in general I must say is pushing me to hope for a great & close 2021 Ashes yet hope that SS & DW especially reap a golden harvest of runs. Such hysterical claptrap.
Posted by derek on 14/01/2021 at 15:54
I am, for my sins a Zimbabwe supporter. When it comes to Eng v Oz I cannot be neutral, and I lean on hoping England wins the ashes. But all this vitriol against SS, TP and OZ in general I must say is pushing me to hope for a great & close 2021 Ashes yet hope that SS & DW especially reap a golden harvest of runs. Such hysterical claptrap.
Posted by derek on 14/01/2021 at 15:53
I am, for my sins a Zimbabwe supporter. When it comes to Eng v Oz I cannot be neutral, and I lean on hoping England wins the ashes. But all this vitriol against SS, TP and OZ in general I must say is pushing me to hope for a great & close 2021 Ashes yet hope that SS & DW especially reap a golden harvest of runs. Such hysterical claptrap.
Posted by Lawrence Warburton on 14/01/2021 at 10:41
Whilst Smith is undoubtedly a batting genius, I don't believe his quirks and excentricities entitle him to a free pass where it concerns perceived unsporting behaviour. The bottom line is that people reap what they sow in public life and as we all know, Smith has previous form.
Posted by Vj on 14/01/2021 at 10:26
Simon, we can't just scuff off repeated behavioural issues of Smith or other AUS cricketers in General. AUS cricketing culture is rotten that Justin Langer and others defending to make it look like acceptable. Many legends have played this game and will play but no one is above the code of conduct of this gentleman game.
Posted by Jonathan Pendlebury on 14/01/2021 at 10:04
Smith did not 'allow' the cheating to take place in South Africa. He and his thug mate, his vice-captain forced the junior player in the team to do the cheating for them so they wouldn't get caught!
Posted by Himanshu on 14/01/2021 at 09:54
Long piece of drivel to try and protect a cheat. Why Simon?
Posted by Prajwal on 14/01/2021 at 09:50
He's nothing a talented nurd
Posted by Geoff Spratt on 14/01/2021 at 09:35
Correct me if I’m wrong, if a bowler is encroaching on the batsman’s line whilst bowling he can be warned by the umpire and if he carries on doing it can be removed from the attack, so surely what Smith was doing is theoretically the same, he may not be breaking any law as such but morally it’s a bit iffy!
Posted by Kevin M Machado on 14/01/2021 at 03:38
Smith had no right being at the Batsman's crease, he was in the fielding side. That is out of bounds for a fielder - say what you like, but the fact of the matter is "he asked for it" ..... the backlash due to his stupidity.
Posted by Jos on 13/01/2021 at 22:49
Tim paine lost his cool it happen in game but some words are hurtful.He is role model but bad example for young talent. Smith is habitat for such activities.action needed again
Posted by Stephen Wood on 13/01/2021 at 20:30
I am mystified at people coming to try and quantify the absurd behaviour of Steve Smith. He is undoubtedly one of the best batsmen in the world. This does not excuse the unfriendly & unsportsman like behaviour , scuffing up Pants crease marks . We are all led to believe , just because he's a 'Super Star ' that gamesmanship is beyond him . There are unwritten laws in sport that are described as "In the spirit of the game ' . A respect for fellow players that seems to be constantly excused in Smiths case. Smith will constantly amaze & confound cricket fans , but he could endear his cause & that of his fellow team mates by adopting a less selfish approach to his endgame .
Posted by Les on 13/01/2021 at 14:43
It appears the only thing australian cricketers are good at nowadays is cheating
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