Smith comeback complete
EACH SATURDAY The Chronicle team talk about the big issues in sport locally, nationally and internationally.
Glen, Jason and Sean share some of their views in the hope it will generate some discussion among The Chronicle’s readership.
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Today The Chronicle sport team talks about the redemption of shamed Australian cricketer Steve Smith.
JASON GIBBS: Steve Smith’s emphatic return to the Test cricket arena is no surprise to me.
If anything I’m surprised he didn’t do more – I was half expecting him to take the ball in hand and snare a few wickets.
Looking back at sandpaper-gate I think Smith got the rough end of the draw.
In my opinion he was guilty of poor leadership – not cheating – he should’ve been firm with David Warner but in the end he simply turned a blind eye.
What happened in the aftermath is what led me to believe he’d return with a bang.
Of the three players in question I feel Smith was the most upset.
It was pretty obvious he felt like he’d let himself, his family, teammates and the fans down.
With that mind I think Smith’s comeback has been less about “making the team” and more about redeeming himself in the eyes of the people he let down.
GLEN McCULLOUGH:
Never write off a champion.
I knew Smith would make it back as a player but who could have foreseen that astonishing Test comeback at Egbaston?
He is playing a different game to everyone else — Kholi, Williamson, Root and anyone else on the planet.
Steve Waugh’s phrase: “Form is temporary. Class is permanent.” has never rung truer.
Smith’s “time out” might actually have helped him strengthen as a person and cricketer which is a scary thought for all those who face him.
He didn’t need to “redeem” himself in my eyes on his comeback to cricket.
He paid a huge personal, professional and financial price for his dumbness in South Africa.
That is more than enough penalty to pay. Why should he then have to grovel on hands and knees to public opinion and seek forgiveness.
He made a mistake, he’s paid the price and now he’s getting on with the show which we are all loving.
Mind you, his harshest critics will never forgive, nor forget the embarrassment and ridicule he brought on Australian sport over sandpaper-gate.
Move on people and enjoy this modern-day master.
That’s enough Smith wrapping from me. Now for the “but”.
I wouldn’t have him back as captain.
I think his “I don’t want to know about it” response to the idiocy of smuggling sandpaper onto the field with the intention of cheating might prove Smith is best served as “one of the boys” rather than holding an Australia position second only to being Prime Minister.
SEAN TEUMA: Steve Smith has done more than enough to earn the respect back of the Australian public.
In their eyes, sandpaper has gone back to simply being something on the shelves at Bunnings, not something that can get under the skin of the former captain.
When you’ve got the British tabloids heaping praise on Smith, you know he’s done well, and let’s face it, if he doesn’t play in Edgbaston, Australia doesn’t win the match.
Smith did everything he could’ve possibly done in that First Test bar drive the team bus to the ground and back.
His ability with the bat to not only occupy the crease and score runs at an impressive rate, but just purely frustrate the England bowlers to the point of anger, was something to behold.
There was only ever going to be one way that the public would truly forgive Smith for the infamous incident in South Africa, and that was through scoring runs and heaping misery on the Poms.
He has gone above and beyond that in the space of one Test, so Steve, consider yourself off the hook.
As for Dave Warner and Cameron Bancroft .......