The world’s number one Test batsman sits in the ‘team lounge’ on the top floor of a luxury hotel. Barefoot, his white shoes kept under the table, one leg resting on the sofa, he looks relaxed, unhurried, just like he is at the batting crease. Steven Smith, Australia’s and Rising Pune Supergiant’s skipper, is casually inquisitive about the squad India has picked for the Champions Trophy. It has not been an easy ride for Rising Pune Supergiant this season.
It has not been an easy start for Smith either, having replaced M.S. Dhoni as skipper—a move that outraged MSD fans—but he has gained the respect of fans, teammates, peers and team owners alike.
Smith may have a ‘Bradman like’ scoring ability in Test cricket but is far from happy with his performance in the 2017 Indian Premier League. He won three man of the match awards and scored two half centuries, but that does not make him a happy man. He is still looking to improve with the bat. In a freewheeling chat with THE WEEK, the Aussie cricketer speaks about the IPL season, his form, the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy and the Australian players’ fight with Cricket Australia for better remuneration. Excerpts:
After an intense Test series between India and Australia, is the IPL a good way to detox and mend fences?
Yeah, obviously it was a very hard fought series, a great series to be part of. It certainly takes a lot out of you physically and mentally, but the IPL has been fantastic, it has been very relaxed and chilled out. It is about going about your business as usual. T20 is always a lot more relaxed format. I have been very fortunate to have some success this season as well.
Is IPL really relaxing?
There are moments when it is tense, always some pressure in the games, that’s the kind of pressure you deal with. But away from that you try to relax as much as possible. All our training sessions are optional, for guys who have been on road it’s fine. You can’t really add much in these six weeks [training wise]. It’s about relaxing, and making sure when the games come around you are ready to go. In that aspect it is relaxing.
The Big three in Royal Challengers Bangalore—AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle—have failed to fire but you have carried your Test form into the IPL. How did you manage to do it?
Bangalore haven’t done very well this year, have they? With their star-studded lineup, they haven’t turned up, I guess, in the big moments. With regards to me, I actually haven’t performed as well as I would have liked in this IPL so far. We are getting to the business end now, a couple of South African players have left us, Stokesey [Ben Stokes] goes back as well. Hopefully, I will be able to stand up and do what Stokes has been able to do. That’s going to be really important for us in the big matches coming up.
You have been part of a couple of IPL seasons now, what have you learnt about the tournament?
It is such a fantastic tournament. You are playing with and against best players from all around the world, able to learn from them, display different parts of the game that, perhaps, you didn’t know were there. I think it is great you play so many back to back games. The tournament is so condensed that you actually have to learn on the go.
You were made the skipper of RPS this year. How has the experience been?
It has been a little bit different. It is quite often difficult to pick a team with four overseas players. We got some quality players sitting on the bench. Then you have to play seven Indian players as well. So it is difficult for guys to miss out. It is hard to pick the eleven. It was a different process being involved in the auction. I told Sanjeev [Goenka] to get Ben Stokes at any cost, they certainly went very hard to get him. It worked for us. He set up the season for us with three man of the match performances.
Going into the Champions Trophy, you are doing well. Will this form help or are we reading too much into performances in the IPL?
It can certainly help. Going out and playing cricket is more valuable than any net session.
What do you think about your acceptance as skipper by the team and the fans?
Everyone is very accepting. Last year didn’t go according to plan at all. Those close games didn’t go over the line, this year they have. It’s been a very enjoyable season.
What about the proposed changes in bat sizes by MCC?
I don’t mind it. I think my bats fit into the regulation anyway so it doesn’t bother me too much! Some of the sizes are very big. The proposed sizes are very good sizes for cricket bats.
Australian players are fighting hard with Cricket Australia over pay structure for cricketers. Your comments?
We want the revenue sharing model. That’s how it has been for a long period of time. In Australia we think that is the fairest model, and that is what the playing group are after at the moment.
