Steve Smith shuts down Test great Ian Healy's criticism of Australian batting coach Michael Di Venuto

7NEWS9 hours ago

Steve Smith has defended Australia's batting coach Michael Di Venuto against criticism following the top order's latest struggles.
The Aussies won the first Test against the West Indies last week despite every batsman bar Travis Head failing at least once.
Notably, Sam Konstas, Cameron Green and Josh Inglis scored a combined 43 runs in the match to leave the tourists on the back foot in both innings.
Usman Khawaja held strong with a first-innings 47 but was out for just 15 in the second dig.
Australia were saved by middle-order runs before a Josh Hazlewood masterclass sunk the West Indies — with the batting woes front and centre for Test great Ian Healy.
Healy said Di Venuto had questions to answer after four years in the role.
'Australian cricket's batting head coach, and every state batting coach, should be under pressure because there's not enough runs being scored around the nation,' Healy said on SEN.
'Michael Di Venuto — a friend of mine who is a good coach and a good man — has held the job since mid-2021.
'In this time, our national team batting has regressed in performance at Test level. That's all that's important to me, the performance. I don't care how you do it or what will make it easier for you — just get it done.'
But Smith said the criticism was off-target.
'His knowledge of batting is second to none,' Smith said of Di Venuto.
'He's not the one out there actually doing the batting.
'Guys have to be able to figure it out themselves out in the middle sometimes, you can't have someone holding your hand out there.
'So any criticism of Diva (I am) completely against.
'He has seen cricket all around the world and knows all the conditions.
'He's done a wonderful job for a long time now and the boys really enjoy working with him.'
Meanwhile, Smith said he was convinced of his fitness for the second Test after an impromptu hit in a New York baseball batting cage.
The 36-year-old, recovering from a dislocated left little finger suffered in the World Test Championship final, watched his teammates win the series opener from his apartment in the Big Apple.
Under a bridge near his abode is a baseball batting cage.
'My mate actually told me about it and he was able to throw me a few balls there,' Smith said on rejoining the Australian squad ahead of the second Test starting on Thursday in Grenada.
'I had a couple of bats last week with some tennis balls and incredi-balls (soft-core balls) the first day and then some cricket balls the next day.
'Everything felt good — it was with a slightly bigger splint than this one (currently) so it was probably a little bit trickier getting my hand in the glove.
'But I just got my stitches out and I have got a smaller splint on now so it will be easier getting my hand in the glove.'
Smith expected no issues with fielding at training which will confirm his return and push Josh Inglis out of the team.
The finger will be in a splint for at least another month.
'Hitting balls it will be just training as normal,' he said.
'And then fielding some balls in front of the wicket, which will probably be the strangest thing for me; I don't think I have ever done that in a Test match.
'Fielding at either mid-on, mid-off or fine leg — a bit different to standing at second or first slip.
'That's probably going to be the biggest difference.'