"Not overthinking it" - Steve Smith striving to return to his best in upcoming summer
Star Australian batter Steve Smith has set his sights on returning to his best in the upcoming three-match Test series against Pakistan after some dwindling returns in the recent past. The former Australian skipper believes that it's all about not overthinking stuff and keeping doing things consistently for longer periods.
Smith had an excellent 2022 in Test cricket, averaging 57 in Pakistan, 76 on the raging turners in Sri Lanka, followed by a double-ton against the West Indies at the Optus Stadium in Perth, and finally striking his 30th century against South Africa to end the summer. However, he has struggled in 2023 thus far, bar a sensational ton in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against India.
Speaking to reporters, Smith acknowledged that he doesn't have to make too many tweaks to his game.
"I don’t have to reinvent the wheel. I’ve performed at a high standard for a long period of time, and I was probably below my standards of what I want. So yeah, for me, it’s not overthinking it, not over playing too much, not changing too much, just going out and trusting what I do and doing it for longer periods of time, hopefully to get the big runs and hopefully help our team have success," he was quoted as saying by The Sydney Morning Herald.
Smith is coming off a mediocre 2023 World Cup campaign, managing 302 runs in 11 innings, headlined by a couple of half-centuries. However, he made a useful half-century in Sydney Sixers' win over the Melbourne Renegades in their opening game of the Big Bash League (BBL).
"I feel like I’m in quite a good place" - Steve Smith
Smith further underlined that it's not new for him to keep making technical changes, but feels primed to score heavily in the summer.
"I reckon I’ve made technical changes every week for the last 10 years. It’s nothing really new for me. I feel like I’ve found a nice sort of tempo in the last couple of days. I feel like I’m in quite a good place. So yeah, I’ll keep building up for the first Test. It’s important to try and stay as mentally fresh as you can," he explained.
The first Australia-Pakistan Test will start in Perth on Thursday, December 14.