Steve Smith (Steven Peter Devereux Smith or SPD Smith) is known to do weird things on the field, especially while batting. The ex-Australian captain has a batting stance that is seriously unique and way against the copybook. He is one of the rare batsmen known for being successful despite not having the traditional cricketing skills. He has his own methods for stance and stroke play.
Today i.e. 2nd June is his birthday also as per records. Smith was born on 2nd June 1989 in Sydney, New South Wales. He completes his 32 years.
He is even seen giving funny and weird facial expressions on the field. He started his career as a leg spinner but now counted as one of the best batsmen in the world, and his stats prove it. He has the second-highest test average after Sir Don Bradman in tests.
Smith Doing Weird Thing
Steve Smith’s wife Dani Willis shared some photos of Steve Smith where he has blindfolded his eyes and has 6-7 cricket bats lying in front of him. He is trying each and every bat and trying to feel without seeing which bat will be best for him.
She wrote “Flashback to Steve doing Steve things. I think he was trying to work out which bat had the better pick up?!”
Also, read- How to choose the perfect cricket bat for you
Steve Smith Career
The 5 feet 9 inches tall Smith started his career as a leg spinner in 2010. He debuted in the T20 match against Pakistan in Melbourne. He batted at number eight in that match and scored eight runs before getting out to Pakistani pacer Naved-ul-Hasan. But the highlight of his batting was his unique stance and batting style. He took 2 wickets in the match in his 4 overs, sparing 34 runs.
And the same month, he made his One Day International debut against the West Indies at Melbourne, playing in the fifth ODI match of the series. He did not get a chance to bat on his ODI debut but like his T20 debut, he took 2 wickets. His first ODI wicket was Denesh Ramdin.
He made his test debut too in 2010 when he was included in the team to play against Pakistan at Lords. He scored only 1 run in the first innings and 12 runs in the second innings of the match. In both innings, Pakistani leg spinner Danish Kaneria got him out.
In the first innings, he did not get a chance to bowl as Australian captain Ricky Ponting thought it was a fast bowler’s wicket. In the second innings, he got a chance to bowl and claimed 3 wickets in his 21 overs. His first Test wicket was Imran Farhat.
Despite making his debut in all three formats in the same year Steve Smith could not cement his place and was kept out of team selection several times.
But slowly, he started to show more talent with the bat than the bowl.
He rose to success as a batsman and became the best batsman in Australia. After the retirement of Michael Clark, the Australian Cricket Board handed over the captaincy of the team to Steve Smith.
Ball-Tampering Scandal
Steve Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft were found guilty of ball-tampering on the third day of the Test against South Africa in 2018. When the match resumed after lunch, Cameron Bancroft was trying to change the condition of the ball with sandpaper kept in his pocket.
When the entire scene appeared on the big screen, the umpire called Bancroft and Smith to inquire about it. Bancroft, Smith, and David Warner were later found guilty under the ICC’s Code of Conduct.
Smith was given a one-match suspension and fined 100% of his match fee. But due to this case, Cricket Australia had to face condemnation from all over the world, due to which Cricket Australia declared banned Smith and Warner from taking part in any form of cricket for one year.
Return To International Career
In 2019, Steve Smith returned to International cricket but lost his captaincy across all formats. Steve Smith has a batting average of almost 62 in tests which is the second-highest test after Sir Don Bradman. He has scored 7540 runs in 77 test matches, and 4378 runs in 128 ODI matches with an average of 43.3.
IPL Career
Steve Smith was first selected for Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2010 as a replacement of New Zealand all-rounder Jesse Ryder who missed the tournament due to a groin injury. That was the only time when Virat Kohli and Steve Smith were in one team. But Steve Smith did not get a chance to play for RCB.
In 2011, Smith was bought by Kochi Tuskers for $200,000, but Steve Smith could not join the team for the season due to his ankle injury and operation.
The next year, i.e. 2012, Kochi Tuskers dropped Steve Smith from the team, and Smith remained unsold in that year’s IPL auction. But later, due to injury to Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, Smith was included in the team as a replacement by Pune Warriors.
Playing the first match for his new franchise, Steve Smith scored 39 runs in 32 balls, due to which Pune Warriors reached 129 runs in their allotted 20 overs. In reply, the Mumbai Indians team could only score 101 runs in their 20 overs. Steve Smith was awarded the man of the match title for his batting performance.
In 2013, Pune Warriors retained Steve Smith in their team and Steve Smith also performed excellent batting and scored 159 runs in seven matches. After half the IPL, Steve Smith complained of lower back pain, due to which he had to leave the IPL half and return to his country.
In 2014, Steve Smith was bought by Rajasthan Royals for $600,000 and Steve Smith scored 147 runs in 10 matches at an average of 37.
In 2015, Steve Smith of Rajasthan Royals was retained in his team and after half the IPL, he was also given the captaincy of the team. In 2015, Steve Smith scored 293 runs in 14 matches at an average of 27.
In 2016, when Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings were banned from IPL for just two years due to match-fixing, Steve Smith was bought by Rising Pune Supergiants for $600,000. When Rajasthan returned to the IPL in 2018, they retained Steve Smith in their team. However, before the auction of IPL 2021, Rajasthan released Steve Smith from their team, and Delhi Capitals bought him for Rs 2 crore.
Steve Smith Centuries
He has 27 centuries in test and 11 centuries in ODI cricket. He is yet to score a T20I century but has scored a century in IPL in 2016 against Gujrat Lions.
Steve Smith Instagram
Steve Smith is celebrating his birthday with his wife and chocolate cake. He also thanked all for wishing him on his birthday.
FAQs
Who is better Smith or Kohli?
Smith has a better record in test matches going by the record, whereas Kohli has a better record in ODIs. Kohli is a more copybook-style batsman, whereas Smith has his own style of batting. But both batsmen are successful and counted in the current top four batsmen.
How much is Steve Smith worth?
His net worth is something around 31 Million AUD, which will be around 175 crore Indian Rupees.