When Steve Smith first broke into the Australian Test team as a leg spinner and lower-order batsman, there was little to indicate he would become a run-pillaging record breaker with the bat.
As he notched 81 runs to follow his first-innings century at the SCG against India, his former teammate Stuart Clark revealed in commentary for ABC Sport that even in junior cricket, nothing particularly special stood out about Smith.
Clark and Smith both played for Sutherland District Cricket Club, where the former international seamer said he gave the youngster some advice as he was coming through.
“I knew Steven when he was a 14 to 15-year-old kid, and I was one of the ones that said: ‘Look, if you concentrate on your leg spin … ‘
“I was one of many that said that to him, that if he became a decent spinner he might get into representative teams as a lower-order batsman.”
Smith now averages more than 62 in Tests, second only to Sir Donald Bradman.
“He could bat,” Clark said.
“But you didn’t sit there and think: ‘This guy is going to be averaging above 60 in Test cricket and score 1,000 runs in an Ashes series.'”
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Clark said Smith was always cricket-obsessed and a hard worker, but it was a change in mindset that saw him evolve into a world beater.
“I don’t know what changed, other than his self-belief,” he said.
“He always had his unusual technique, but it’s that mental toughness sets him apart.
“I think he just started to believe in his own ability.
“He’s always been a bit different. And he’s always been able to hit the ball to odd parts of the ground.
“But he’s just become confident in it.”
Fellow ABC Sport commentator Ian Chappell said Smith was clearly going to be a potential match winner at the SCG, despite failing in the first two Tests of the series.
“That was always a plus in his favour, the fact this at the SCG,” Chappell said.
“With a player of that calibre, you always think a big innings is just around the corner.
“Once you let Smith bat as he wants to bat, then you’re in trouble as an opponent.”
Listen to ABC Sport’s live coverage of the third Test from the SCG.
