Unaffected by an elbow complaint for the first time in months, Steve Smith has declared he can be Australia’s pressure performer at the pointy end of the Twenty20 World Cup.
But a glut of hamstring issues mean Smith’s no guarantee to play even if captain Aaron Finch is ruled out on Wednesday. Finch, Marcus Stoinis and Tim David all had scans on hamstring complaints of varying severity on Tuesday before flying to Adelaide.
Steve Smith (inset) with Aaron Finch.Credit:Getty
Left out of initial calculations due to Australia’s preference for heavier hitting down the batting order behind Finch and David Warner, Smith re-entered calculations from the moment Finch felt his hamstring when batting against Ireland at the Gabba.
A subsequent hamstring complaint for the somewhat fragile Stoinis, however, means that Finch’s replacement may end up being Cameron Green on the basis that the tournament hosts would need the all-rounder’s seam bowling if Stoinis can only bat.
At the same time, Green’s pre-tournament audition was as an opener, something he performed with tremendous power and skill on a short tour of India. Smith, a star performer in Australia’s previous home World Cup win in the 50-over event six years ago, said while he was ready to go he accepted selectors could pivot to Green instead.
“He’s pretty talented isn’t he?” Smith said of Green. “We saw the way he played in India in particular, opening the batting, he went after it and it came off. That’s another path the selectors will go down if the guys don’t come up. So plenty of options there and good depth in our squad.
“I loved 2015, the back end of that tournament, it’s a long time ago now, but I think I passed 50 in all the last four or five games of that World Cup. I know when it gets to the pressure sort of stages I’d like to think I go well in those situations. So if the opportunity does arise, I’ll be ready to go.”
Finch’s long history of hamstring issues caused the Australian selectors to wince when he complained of a likely strain on Monday night in Brisbane, and there was an on-field conference at the change of innings to weigh up the risk/reward of him taking the field.
As it was, Finch’s counsel was useful in marshalling Ireland’s dramatic slide to 5-25 before he subsequently handed the reins over to his deputy Matthew Wade.
“I assume Wadey will take the reins, but I’m happy to help in any way I can,” Smith said. “I’ve got a lot of experience, vice-captain of the Test side and been captain before, so happy to help in any way I can. Fingers crossed the guys who’ve had their scans get some good news.
“He’s got a great knowledge of the game, keeping as well you get good angles and they’re important in T20 cricket as well. I’m sure he’ll do a good job.”
Should New Zealand beat England on Tuesday night at the Gabba, Finch would be able to miss the final group game against Afghanistan and have more than a week to recover in time for the semi-final if Australia won without him.
Smith, a centurion on the mid-year Test tour of Sri Lanka, noted that he had been spending more time in the nets lately than at any other time this year after his recurring elbow complaint settled down.
“I feel like I’m starting to find a nice groove and probably batted for longer in the nets than I have for a while now and a lot of that comes down to my elbow that’s feeling good now,” he said.
“Previously I couldn’t have batted for as long without stirring it up. I feel like I’m finding some really good rhythm. The way I play translates across formats, I don’t really change the way I play, it’s more just the tempo of the game.
“The way the tournament has panned out with the wickets, if you’ve got someone who can bat through a fair chunk of the innings and let the hitters go around him, that’s worked pretty well. I certainly feel like I can play that role.”
