IPL 2020 in UAE: Steve Smith unplugged

Gulf News

Rajasthan Royals skipper and Australian star opens up to Gulf News on his team's IPL campaign, his philosophy of batting and more...  Read the full story: https://bit.ly/3dJeGz4   See more videos at https://gulfnews.com/videos Read more Gulf News stories here: https://bit.ly/2HLJ2km  #cricket #IPL2020 #SteveSmith

Transcript

00:00Such a great experience. Playing with and against the best players from around the world. It's a great learning curve. I've learnt so much along the way.

00:13Hello. Good day to our viewers. This is Gautam Bhattacharya from Gulf News with my colleague Shyam Krishna.

00:19We are on the track of IPL as you know. And with us, we have got a very, very special guest today in Steve Smith.

00:26How do we describe Steve Smith? In one word, it's very difficult.

00:29The Rajasthan Royal Skipper. The man with the best test averages in the world. You know, the man who's been there and done that.

00:36Welcome Steve and thanks very much for doing this. Thanks for having me.

00:38For all that you've achieved over the last decade or so, the IPL has actually played a good starting point in your career.

00:45We remember you coming down to India for Pune Warriors for I think about 19 years back. So, how has this IPL journey been for you, Steve?

00:55Yeah, it's been incredible. It's a terrific tournament to be involved in. Even going back to Pune Warriors like you just mentioned a long time ago.

01:05It's such a great experience playing with and against the best players from around the world. It's a great learning curve.

01:13I've learnt so much along the way and I still continue to learn. I'm sharing the dressing room with some terrific players.

01:21Josh Butler, Ben Stokes, Raul Tawati, Shreyas Gopal. Some good players. Just watching how different players prepare and go about their business is magnificent.

01:36And then to play against some of the best players around the world. You only have to look at AB Bavilias yesterday.

01:42Absolutely incredible to come up against those players. It's magnificent.

01:47Unfortunately, he went off yesterday. That would have been good if he failed yesterday. But yeah, such a great tournament.

01:54And yeah, continue to learn so much playing in it.

01:57You brought up the subject of yesterday's game. If we look at the points table, things may not have been going your way.

02:05But there have been so many close matches where the thing could have gone either way after those first two wins.

02:10What would be the Rajasthan Royals' modus operandi from here? If you can just say in a few words.

02:17The equation is pretty simple for us now. I think we have to win our last five games or maybe four or five if we're lucky to make the playoffs.

02:26It's pretty simple for us. Every game is basically a final now. The last two have been disappointing.

02:33I think we've got ourselves in positions to win the games. They're the ones you need to get over the line in.

02:39And then I think we've won a few where we probably shouldn't have won as well.

02:43They're the ones that generally make your season if you're winning the games you should.

02:49The last two have been tough pills to swallow. But I think we're actually playing pretty good cricket now.

02:57We've played good cricket for the majority of the game. We just need to close it out.

03:03It's been unfortunate. But we've got another game tomorrow. So we have to let yesterday go.

03:10Obviously, guys were hurting a bit last night. But the sun came up this morning. We've got to keep moving forward.

03:16We've got another game tomorrow. We've got to be as ready as we can to take on CSK.

03:20What actually went wrong? Because you guys got into a super start. The first two matches were brilliant games.

03:26And then your batting went pure shape. What happened there?

03:29Yeah, that's right. I think you hit the nail on the head. Our batting hasn't been good enough in T20 or in any form of cricket.

03:36Your top four or five need to be scoring the bulk of your runs.

03:42Unfortunately, that hasn't happened for us consistently. We've had guys like Tawatea and

03:48Riyan Parag got us out of trouble in one game. Tawatea in another game where he scored some good runs at the back end.

03:57Our top four or five haven't been consistent enough in scoring the bulk of the runs.

04:02And when that's not the case, you're not going to win too many games. So, it's been pretty simple for us.

04:08And you've struggled a bit with the opening competition also. I think you have something like five pairs of openers.

04:13Yeah, it's been a bit different. Our initial thoughts at the start was, you know, Joss and Jai's wall were going to open.

04:23Joss wasn't available the first game. So, I opened and I hit them pretty well.

04:28Albeit at Sharjah and slogging a bit. So, we sort of stuck with that combination when Joss came back and then went back to Jai's wall.

04:39Didn't quite work. And now, you know, it's an interesting one for us. I think when you look at

04:47the game of T20 now, I think there's so many batters that I think can open the batting.

04:52For me, I believe the most important and the most valuable player is someone that can finish a game

04:58off like AB de Villiers did yesterday. And for me, it's a difficult one with Joss. I think Joss is

05:05magnificent up top. He's very good. But he's also got the capabilities to do what AB did down the

05:10bottom as well. And I don't think there's too many of those players in the world. It's tough. I know

05:15Joss certainly wants to open the batting. But yeah, like I said, there's not many players

05:21that can do what Joss and AB and Hardik Panya, I reckon, is another one. MS Dhoni's done it for a

05:29long time. Andre Russell. They're probably a handful of players that I think have got the

05:34capabilities and the strength to be able to, on slower wickets, do what AB did yesterday. So,

05:42sort of changed our balance a bit. Joss also provides a bit more experience in the middle as

05:47well and can play both roles of playing smart cricket and using his power and innovation as

05:53well. So, yeah, we'll see which way we go going forward. You have been out of home, I think, since

06:00August, late August. You went to England, the White Ball series. Then you've come here and

06:06it's about a two-month haul. And then once you go back there again, you know, like you're going to

06:11see this coming up against India. So, life in the bubble. I mean, how tough or how easy,

06:18how you had been coping with it, living in the family? You guys have always spoken about it.

06:22It's not easy, is it? No, no. It's never easy leaving the family, that's for sure. But I guess

06:28to answer your question, it's very different, living in the bubble. You know, you can't go

06:32out to a restaurant or cafe to sort of get yourself out of your hotel and things like that.

06:39I guess we're also really fortunate that, first of all, England went ahead and were able to play

06:45some cricket and do what we love over there. And then I think the BCCI and the government

06:50here in the UAE have done a magnificent job getting this tournament to go ahead and enable

06:56us to still do what we love. But the cricket, it's very different, living in the bubble,

07:02playing in front of no crowds. It's not the same, that's for sure. But like I said, we're still

07:08really fortunate to be able to get out there and do what we love. When the IPL was starting,

07:14we were also a little apprehensive that the players have never had this kind of a downtime

07:19for about five months. And then there's no crowd. So we were wondering whether there'll be a lack

07:24of intensity or fitness issues. But so far, all players across the board, I mean, barring the few

07:33freak incidents, they've coped up with it very nicely, isn't it? I mean, it's a testament to

07:40the players' professionalism, everybody. Yeah, of course. And I think some players

07:44have probably taken a little bit longer to get their groove back. I'm probably an example of

07:50one of them. For me, I'm a real rhythm player and I need time in the middle. There's nothing

07:57like time in the middle as opposed to batting in the nets. It's completely different. So,

08:02yesterday for me, fortunately, I was able to finally spend some time in the middle and play

08:07the way that I'm accustomed to playing in a way, instead of just going after it and slogging.

08:14So hopefully that holds me in good stead for the rest of the tournament. But

08:18a lot of guys have been able to pick it up straight away and just get back into it.

08:23The game never stops. So credit to those guys. And they've done well. So it certainly is a

08:29different world we're living in at the moment. That's for sure.

08:31Let's take this opportunity of chatting with you and move on to Test Cricket. An average of

08:3662.84. And over the last six, seven years, your form has surprised people and people

08:46have entered you in the administration. Last year's ashes comes to mind. Can you talk us

08:51through a bit about it? How does your approach vary in Test matches?

08:56I think Test Cricket is completely different. For me, I love Test Cricket. It's really the

09:01ultimate challenge. You're coming up against amazing oppositions. For me, as a batter,

09:08you've got the ability to be able to bat for hours, which I love personally. I love being

09:13out there just playing. It's a different game. There's a lot more patience involved and

09:23different tactics to try and get you out and things like that, that you've got to overcome.

09:28I love playing Test Cricket. I love the challenge of it, of everything that it brings.

09:33And yeah, like you said, I guess I've been fortunate to have some success over the last,

09:38I don't know, six or seven years. And yeah, hopefully that can continue and I can help

09:43Australia win as many games as I can.

09:45If you look at last year's Test performances, you seem to come up with centuries and big

09:52knocks whenever Australia is in trouble. Does the crisis bring out the best in you or how

09:58do you cope with those kinds of situations?

10:00I try and do what I can for the team when we're in trouble. I hold myself highly in

10:08that sort of regard. I want to be the one to dig us out of a hole and help the team

10:13get back on track. And I enjoy batting in pressure situations. So I think they bring

10:19out the best in me in a way. Yeah, I guess I've been fortunate enough to dig the team

10:24out of a few holes and help us in some way and contribute. So yeah, I think I don't try

10:33and put too much pressure on myself in those stages. I just get in my zone and play the

10:39way I play and just enjoy myself out in the middle. I love batting. I love spending time

10:45out there. I'm doing what I love out there. It's just going about my business and doing

10:51what I do.

10:51You don't seem to do much bowling. Because when you came to Test initially, you used

10:56to do a bit of legspin. You haven't seen much of that of late. What is that?

11:00Yeah. Back in about 2012, I had a decision to make when I was out of the Australian team

11:10to my best way forward to get back and be successful and just keep playing for Australia.

11:15And at that stage, I decided that I'd stop bowling in the nets a little bit every now

11:21and again. But for me, it was about just focusing on my batting and spending all my time on

11:27that and trying to be as good as I can at that part of my game. I chose that then. And

11:32since then, I've just batted and batted. And I think it was a good decision that I made.

11:40Talking about the Test series at the Ushers last year. I mean, very recently, we have

11:45seen you that you have been a kind of the central figure in two documentaries. One was

11:50the Test we thoroughly enjoyed. And another one was on the Rajasthan Royals, the inside

11:55story from last year's campaign. How was the experience of allowing a TV crew inside the

12:00dressing room of an intense series like the Ashes? I mean, if you can share a bit of that with us.

12:06Well, it was a bit different initially. The first couple of weeks, there was someone around

12:11with a camera in front of you the whole time. That was a different experience. But I think after,

12:17you know, a week or two, you kind of just get used to it. And it was just about going about

12:22business as usual. And there was just someone there with you the whole time. And you got used

12:28to it. So, you know, both documentaries have come out really well and been good. So hopefully,

12:35the fans have enjoyed, I guess, a different insight into the players and got to know us,

12:41I guess, a little bit more as well. Where do you go from here? Now,

12:44you've got the India series coming up. What are your plans for the forthcoming series?

12:49Yeah, exciting to have India out to Australia again. They're always great series. Hard series.

12:57I think both teams have quality batting line-ups and great, in particular, fast bowling line-ups

13:03too. Plenty of experience there. So, you know, I think it's going to be, you know, a great series.

13:10And I'm really looking forward to that. When we spoke about your test averages,

13:14you must be really nearly part of the debate as who's the greatest test batsman. And we keep

13:20hearing about Steve Smith, Virat Kohli, Ken Williamson, Joe Root. But when you're competing

13:27against each other, I mean, is that intensity natural? I mean, it's a team-to-team thing. I

13:34mean, it's nothing, not a personal battle, isn't it? I mean, how do you look at this? Or do you

13:39enjoy this kind of contest, you know, to go one up? How do you look at it?

13:43No, I don't. I actually don't think about that at all. You know, I'm just out there trying to do

13:47the best job that I can. I'll let everyone else throw out comparisons and, you know, and what

13:53have you. But for me, it's just about playing and doing the best that I can for my team, whichever

13:59team I'm playing for, whether it be Rajasthan or New South Wales or Australia. I just try and do

14:05the best that I can, score as many runs and help the team win. That's my ultimate goal. And

14:12yeah, I don't think too much about different comparisons, things like that.

14:17The last Ashes series, you know, after with that incident of your concussion. I mean,

14:23it threw up a guy who has proved to be an invaluable asset to your middle order in

14:28Labushane. So, you know, with this test series coming up, I mean, he's turned out to be quite

14:33a rock of your middle order. How do you value his contribution? How do you see his rise? It'd be

14:38wonderful to know that.

14:39Yeah, look, he's come on in leaps and bounds in the last couple of years. He's a good friend of

14:45mine now. He's got a great knowledge of what he's trying to do, the way he bats. And he's

14:52someone that just, he's so hungry for runs. He wants to be out in the middle and batting,

14:57much like I do. You know, we get on well with each other. You know, we always challenge each

15:02other to be better and improve and talk about the game and how, you know, someone's going to

15:08try and bowl to us or where we should score off a certain bowler or things like that. He's got

15:13the makings to be, you know, one of the greats of the game, I think. He's got it all there.

15:21And it's about just doing it on a consistent basis now. And, you know, I don't see any reason

15:26why he can't. He works incredibly hard at the game. Trains, you know, at a million miles an

15:32hour. He's focused and knows what he wants to achieve. So, yeah, hopefully he has a big summer

15:38for us again and just keeps piling on the runs.

15:41Other than Dallabh Ushai, do you see any other talents coming up in Australian side?

15:46Good question. I'm not really sure. I'm sure that there's plenty of young talent players out

15:53there. That's for sure. I think it's, yeah, for them, it's just about honing in their game,

15:58figuring out how they want to play. Yeah, just the experiences that they take and trying to get

16:06better each and every day. There's always young talent coming through. So, yeah, we'll wait and

16:11see which one's the next one to make it to the top.

16:14Thanks once again for your time. It's been a privilege to have you. And hoping all the best

16:22for the Royals in the coming matches so far. Thank you once again. Thank you, Shyam. Thank you, Steve.

16:26Thank you, Steve.

16:27My pleasure.

16:28Thanks, Gautam.

16:29Thanks, guys. Cheers.

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