Smith takes a trip down memory lane

Australia skipper Steve Smith was grateful for the break afforded to him by the team management as he sat out the tail-end of the tour to Sri Lanka, with David Warner leading the limited overs squads to dual victories in his stead.
Smith had a net session with his father ahead of the trip to South Africa and enjoyed the moment of practicing with his dad for the first time in over eight years.
His father fed the bowling machine as Smith’s teammates were already in South Africa and New South Wales were in the midst of their Matador Cup preparations.
Smith told a media gathering in Johannesburg: “I’ve had a good break.
“I had a hit two days before we left (Australia), I actually got my old man to feed me some balls for the first time in about eight years.
“So it was a good thrill for him, and I hadn’t lost it.
“I felt like I hit the ball really well, and we’ve got a week here (in Johannesburg) to prepare and I’ll get some good time in the nets over this week and then be ready to go for the first game.”
Australia coach Darren Lehmann asked Smith for an assessment of his dad’s coaching ability in jest but the skipper revealed his father had little to say: “He didn’t say a word actually.
“It was a bit different to when I was growing up.”
After the struggles in Sri Lanka, Australia will likely be pleased to travel to South Africa where conditions are closest to back home.
Smith added: “I’d say they are the most similar (conditions) you are going to get, so it’s not so foreign in a way.
“It’s a great place to play cricket, the wickets have some good pace and bounce and that’s how we like to play on those kind of wickets.
“It’s exciting for one-day cricket to have those kinds of wickets, with generally quite big scores.
“So I’m sure things will be a little bit different from what we saw in Sri Lanka in regards to the amount of runs that are going to be scored in this series.”
Ahead of a five match ODI series against South Africa, Australia face Ireland in a one-off match in Benoni next Tuesday.
Latest
-
News
Matt Parkinson takes positives from England tour despite lack of game time
Parkinson did not see competitive action in Sri Lanka or India.
-
News
Ponting sheds light on Smith’s Delhi Capitals role
Delhi Capitals coach Ricky Ponting has given some insight into where Steve Smith would fit into his side.
-
News
Akhtar ‘wouldn’t call De Kock a cheat’ but run-out not in the ‘spirit of cricket’
Shoaib Akhtar has had his say on Quinton de Kock’s controversial actions during the run-out of Fakhar Zaman.
-
News
Sarah Taylor set for playing comeback in The Hundred with Welsh Fire
Taylor put her cricketing career on hold in September 2019 when announcing her international retirement.
-
News
Eoin Morgan believes there is still room for all three formats
England 50-over World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan...
-
News
Ricky Ponting predicts big future for Prithvi Shaw
Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting is...
-
News
‘My experiences at Yorkshire were always good’, says Ajmal Shahzad
Senior players at Headingley “took me under their wing”, says the former fast bowler.
-
News
Bangladesh hopeful of hosting Sri Lanka despite lockdown
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) remain hopeful...
-
News
Sachin Tendulkar hospitalised with coronavirus
The 47-year-old former India batsman tested positive for Covid-19 last weekend.
-
News
De Villiers names all-time IPL XI, names Dhoni as captain
Ahead of the start of the new IPL season, Royal Challengers Bangalore star AB de Villiers has named his all-time XI of the competition.