Steve Smith has outlined the main reasons why he put forward his case to open for the Australian Test team.
Smith had floated the idea when it became apparent that David Warner would be retiring from the game, leaving the Aussies without the opener they’d had since 2011.
There was talk of Sheffield Shield stars Cam Bancroft, Marcus Harris and Matt Renshaw stepping in to replace Warner, but instead national selectors opted to promote from within.
Smith, 34, pressed his case to Test coach Andrew McDonald and captain Pat Cummins as he looked to elevate himself to open alongside Usman Khawaja.
He admits his pleas, which would include Cam Green replacing him at no.4, somewhat fell on deaf ears before they saw the light.
“I’ve sort of been saying it for a little while but probably not taken as seriously as I was coming across until about a week ago,” Smith told Bharat Sundaresan on SEN Cricket.
“I thought we’ve got a good player in Cameron Green who has been sitting on the sidelines. Someone that is suited to bat in the middle.
“Then from my point of view, I’ve been sitting there waiting at number four to bat for a long period of time and I’m keen to just get out there and play. I said I’m keen to get up there, face the new ball and get amongst it.
“We had those conversations after the last game in Sydney and here we landed.”
Smith revealed he was only taken seriously after the third Test against Pakistan at the SCG which concluded on January 6.
It was not long after that when he learned that he’d be tasked with leading the Australian batting line-up.
“Probably not until after Sydney,” he laughed.
“I chatted to ‘Ron’ (McDonald) and Patty (Cummins) and said I’m keen, I’m interested to have a new challenge up top. I’m not foreign to the new ball, a lot of the time I’ve actually batted my best when I’ve come in really early. The 2019 Ashes is a prime example of that. I was basically opening the batting there.
“It’s nothing foreign, it’s something I enjoy and I was keen to get up there.”
Smith will now get to open next to long-time teammate Khawaja in the two-Test series against the West Indies, but the pair are yet to decide who will take the first ball judging by a recent text exchange solicited by the former.
“I randomly sent him a message, I don’t think he knew I was opening yet and I said, ‘Do you want the first one or should I take it?’. He sent back, ‘Opening?’, and was like, ‘Yeah, I’m in’,” Smith revealed.
“We actually haven’t decided who is taking the first one yet, but after I got out first ball the other night (in the BBL) I was like ‘Uz, maybe you should take it’.
“We’re not fussed. It doesn’t matter when you face your first ball, whether you’re opening or batting at four or whatever, it’s all the same.”
The maker of 9,514 Test runs and 32 Test centuries admits he is mentally starting to fray due to the high volume of deliveries he witnesses while waiting to bat.
Opening might just refresh his mind.
“It just wears me down mentally,” Smith said honestly.
“I watch so closely when I’m waiting to bat and there’s usually a slight delay on the TV so I’d watch live and then I’d watch he TV. So if I’m waiting for 300 balls, I’m probably watching 600.
“It’s wearing me down mentally, and then once I’m out there I’m more fatigued. I don’t have that anymore which is exciting.”
He is hoping his shift to the top of the order sparks something new as he powers towards 10,000 Test runs where he would join only Ricky Ponting, Allan Border and Steve Waugh.
The first Test between Australia and the West Indies kicks off this Wednesday, January 17 in Adelaide.
SEN’s coverage starts at 9:00am AEDT live from the Adelaide Oval.
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