“If you want to smack your first or second ball for six, go for it”: Michael di Venuto advises Steve Smith to play freely on Sri Lanka tour

Michael di Venuto advises Steve Smith: The stand-in Australian coach wants a change in tactics for the former Australian captain.

Australia batter Steven Smith admits that his previous role refrained him from being “aggressive” and “free flowing” in the shortest format at the highest level.

Known to play the “anchor role” in T20Is lately, Smith hasn’t tasted a lot of success in the format scoring 205 runs in 12 innings at an average and strike rate of 18.63 and 110.21 respectively in the last two years.

“When I’m playing the role that I was picked to play previously, you’re not as aggressive or free flowing as you could be,” Smith told cricket.com.au ahead of the first T20I against Sri Lanka in Colombo tomorrow.

“Then you see guys like Maxi [Glenn Maxwell] and Stoin [Marcus Stoinis] behind you and you suddenly feel pressure to turn the switch on straightaway. That’s not the way I’d generally play the game.”

Michael di Venuto advises Steve Smith to play freely on Sri Lanka tour

Part of Australia’s T20 World Cup-winning campaign in the UAE last year, there is no hiding to the fact that Smith’s T20I spot is receiving stiff competition from several batters.

Set to play the first T20I at the R Premdasa Stadium on Tuesday, Smith expressed excitement at the team management volunteering to get rid of the “Mr. Fix-it” tag.

Smith, who turned 33 last week, revealed a discussion with former Australia batter and stand-in head coach Michael di Venuto (promoted from assistant coach after head coach Andrew McDonald tested positive for COVID-19) with the latter asking him to “play freely”.

“Diva [Michael di Venuto] actually told me the other day, he said ‘we’re getting rid of that tag, that’s gone. Just go out and play freely. If you want to smack your first or second ball for six, go for it’.

“So now it’s just about going out and playing freely and trusting my instincts, which I think I’ve done well over any format for a long time, instead of being a bit more reserved and trying not to get out, which I don’t think the right way to play T20 cricket,” Smith added.

About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

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