Australian cricketer Steve Smith has revealed that one of the main reasons behind his decision to open the batting in Tests is to avoid waiting for his turn to bat. Although he has never opened in red-ball cricket, Smith is set to take up the role in the upcoming Test series against West Indies.
Smith explained his decision, saying, “Since Marnus has been back playing at No.3, I’ve been waiting to bat for quite a long period of time. I don’t like waiting to bat, so I thought why don’t I put my hand up and have a crack up top? That way, you can get Cameron Green in, and you’re playing your best six batters.”
The premier batter also pointed to his success facing the new ball during the 2019 Ashes series in England, where he scored 774 runs at an astonishing average of 110.54. Smith expressed his excitement about the new challenge, saying, “I am (excited). I like facing the newer ball. If you look back to the 2019 Ashes, I was in pretty early there most of the time where I was facing the new ball.”
Having previously batted at No. 3, Smith sees opening as a familiar role, and he is looking forward to the challenge. He mentioned that discussions about this move had been ongoing for some time, especially with David Warner's retirement from Test cricket and Cameron Green set to bat at number four against the West Indies. Smith concluded, “For me, it was a conversation saying, ‘I’m keen to go up to the top. If you were thinking about Greeny up the top, he hasn’t done it at all’. (Green) bats four in Shield cricket.”
(With Agency Inputs)
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