Steve Smith

[Tyberious Funk]

I gotta say... I'm off the bandwagon.

I didn't think he should have been bought into the side, but, I wasn't particularly disappointed either. Sure, he wasn't in the greatest batting form this year. But last year he played well and showed he has the potential to be a specialist batsman.

But watching him in Perth, and then today...

He needs to seriously re-think his approach. He's batting like a good tailender. A good eye, but a very loose technique. At this rate, he'll score runs when he's "on", but will struggle when the conditions are difficult or the bowling is good.

I hate to say it, but at the moment... I think Hauritz is actually a better batsman.

 

[Coledinho]

His batting is overrated and his bowling is underrated for mine.

Putting him in the team as a batter is just plain ridiculous considering I could probably name 20 better batters playing in the Shield than him atm

 

[Adam Selwood]

Mark Nicholas summed it up well when he questioned why Smith would be in the team as a 'pure' batsman instead of Khawaja

Clearly the selectors have picked him in the same vein as they did Cameron White in India - because he can bowl a bit

Why not come out and say he's been picked for this reason (which he clearly has) rather than pretend that his bowling is simply a 'bonus'?

 

[crowsarethebest]

Very very loose techinque- seriously many tailenders have a better technique than him. I remember people questioned Andrew Symonds technique for tests but Smith is worse. He'll take a lot of time and patience I reckon. All-rounders take a long time to mature and if he wants to be a good batsman + bowler he'll need to work hard over the years cause at the moment neither his batting or bowling is up to test match cricket. I don't mind the move though, he's in there for the experience, i'd rather him than north.

 

[Jimthegreat]

An all rounder has to very good at one craft and decent in another. No point having an allrounder that has neither skill up to standard. I think Smith is more a bowling all rounder if anything. Can bowl decent legspin but not a no 6. Even the the bowling isn't really ready yet either but is as good as any we have. while he can't play as a top-order batsman his batting at no.8 strengthens the batting as part of the bowling group.

 

[Bomber Bears]

I just think he needs a year or two more in the Shield, just to refine both batting and bowling. Depnding on the batting quality of our next keeper number 7 could be the perfect spot for Smith in the future.

 

[The Fonz]

Smith reminds me of the star player of the U12s whose father also just happens to be the coach.

 

[Walsh Bay]

Smith reminds me of the star player of the U12s whose father also just happens to be the coach.

Spot on. I know exactly what you mean.

 

[ROSEMVP]

smith is a wannabe cam white.

 

[Ill Chicken]

Spot on. I know exactly what you mean.

Who happens to be Shane Warne who is pumping up his tires at every opportunity. Smith could potentially end up as another Dan Cullen (though Cullen doesn't a tenth the talent of Smith).

 

[legend166]

smith is a wannabe cam white.

Looking at their respective Shield records I think Cam White is a wannabe Steve Smith.

 

[BarneyBent]

Who happens to be Shane Warne who is pumping up his tires at every opportunity. Smith could potentially end up as another Dan Cullen (though Cullen doesn't a tenth the talent of Smith).

Given Shane Warne is the one who said yesterday that playing Smith made the team a batsman short and a bowler short, he isn't exactly growing a chubby over him. Warne rates his potential, no question, but he has said a few times now that he's not ready for Tests, and if picked will do a job but don't expect miracles.

 

[Ill Chicken]

Don't worry, Warne will have disowned him by the end of the series.

 

[Belnakor]

Play Smith as the Number 1 spinner

 

[thesting]

Play Smith as the Number 1 spinner

I think we should give this a go. If we can pick Smith as a bowler, bat him at 8, drop one of the quicks and pick another specialist batsman. This significantly bolsters our batting line up and lets Smith know what we want him to be. From the few overs we have seen from him so far, he is willing to bowl nice and slow, and can get a bit of drift on the ball.

If the batsman we pick is an opener, we can bat Watson down the order and utilise his bowling a little more. It will be a big change to the team, but the team needs big changes so it is worth giving it a go for a few games.

 

[aneale]

Smith should be batting at 8, as a specialist bowler rather than at 6 as the allrounder.

11 - ferret
10 - bunny
9 - bunny
8 - Smith
7 - keeper
6 - Watson
5 - batsmen
4 - batsmen
3 - batsmen
2 - opener
1 - opener

Is how it should look.

 

[The_Reaper]

Smith should be batting at 8, as a specialist bowler rather than at 6 as the allrounder.

11 - ferret
10 - bunny
9 - bunny
8 - Smith
7 - keeper
6 - Watson
5 - batsmen
4 - batsmen
3 - batsmen
2 - opener
1 - opener

Is how it should look.

He can't bowl though

 

[aneale]

He can't bowl though

he's got more potential than any other spinner we have. No one is going to lose any sleep over middling left arm finger spinners. There are no Derek Underwood's in the mix.

I remember Warne playing grade cricket here, he couldn't bowl either. On his best day he couldn't get you out even if you were using one of the picket fences from around the Bay oval.

 

[legend166]

He's bowled just as well in this test as Doherty did. He's at least looked like creating something.

Ideally we'd have some openers knocking down the door in the Shield so we could move Watson to six and bowl him more, and have Smith at eight as the specialist spinner. Either way we may as well do it. I really don't think we're losing anything with him there. In Perth and now at Melbourne, the 4th seamer has been superfluous. In Perth it was Siddle and now it's Johnson.

 

[big_e]

Smith could potentially end up as another Dan Cullen

Insult of the year...

 

[ROSEMVP]

dan cullen is actually a good bowler where has he gone?

i miss seing the man with his rolled up sleeves

 

[Masto]

Can he actually get the ball to spin off the pitch? Can't bat, can't bowl.

 

[The Passenger]

hsa talent with the bat but isn't ready for test cricket. he'll be the sort of player who needs to work his game out in shield level for some time before having a crack at test level. he's technique is very very loose which is not necessarily a bad thing for a number 6.... but he needs more experience. a youngster that loose will get (and thus far has been) exposed at this level.

he's also not been in great form with the bat this season at all. it almost seems that the selectors don't really worry too much about shield performances.

 

[Cleavy]

jack of all trades, master of none. This is perfectly acceptable for ODIs and 20/20, but will be found out in Tests. Still plenty of time for him to turn it around, provided that he keeps getting a game.

 

[The 747]

I like him and want him to do well. And he should play in the next Test but after that, back to the Shield.

I do not see a Test standard batsman and I don't see a Test standard bowler. At this stage.