‘Didn't hit a ball since missing Mohammed Shami's full toss in CT': Why Steve Smith took three-month break from cricket ahead of WTC final
'I'd normally have a bat lying around the house somewhere and just pick it up and do a bit of shadow batting and stuff. But I made a conscious decision to try and just let it go for a while. It was good.'
Not every professional cricketer can afford the luxury that Australia's Steve Smith, part of Test cricket's illustrious 10,000-run club, has so late into his international career. The former Test captain says he has given up on his mad obsession with shadow-batting or simply picking up the willow now and then outside the field for three straight months since his last competitive outing, enjoying his New York de-tox.
Having retired from ODI cricket in March and no IPL commitments meant the 36-year-old month prioritised a proper break from all cricket before simply finding his groove back in time with his two latest net sessions in Beckenham ahead of next week's second successive ICC World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord's.
Smith's last outing ended in a rare semi-final exit for Australia in the Champions Trophy against India in Dubai. Despite top-scoring with a 73, Smith could not prevent India's four-wicket win en route to the title win.
'I hadn't hit a ball since I missed a full toss off Mohammed Shami in the Champions Trophy. Fortunately, everything sort of clicked into place immediately. I feel like I'm moving really well, I feel strong and just ready to get into it now,' Smith told ESPNcricinfo.
'Normally how it works is my first hit's good, my second hit's awful, and then I'd get better from there. But both hits were just really good and I was like, hopefully it doesn't turn around now and I don't have to spend hours in the nets the next couple of days.'
Smith simply brings his best version to England, more so at Lord's, a ground he considers his favourite outside home. Clocking 2255 runs at a 55 average in England, Smith has also churned out runs at the 'home of cricket' with a 55-plus average and notched up a ton in his last appearance. The forthcoming Test could also be his last at the venue, with the next Ashes in England only slated for 2027.
'I think it's probably, outside of Sydney, my favourite ground to play at,' he said. 'The history, the surface itself. It always takes a few balls just to get used to that slope. One end you feel like you're standing really tall, the other end you feel like you're falling over a little bit. But the ball races away, both up the hill and down the hill.
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