When the teams take to the field at Headingley for the decisive 3rd Ashes test, Steven Smith will be a centurion without raising his bat. His appearance in this test is his 100th, making Smith only the 15th Australian man to reach this landmark. Simply playing 100 tests for Australia is enough to be included in the list of all time greats. A cursory glance down this list is a who’s who of Ashes greats – McGrath, Warne, Border, Ponting to name a few. But the reception that Smith will receive from the crowd is unlikely to be warm. If anything it is likely to be openly hostile.
Forgetting the events at Lord’s this week, which have served only to fuel the flames of this Ashes series, Smith has never been well received in England. His first two Ashes series in England ended in defeat, with relatively mediocre returns by Smith’s sublime standards. In 2013, he averaged 38 with only one century and 2 half centuries across 10 innings. In 2015, he was vastly improved, averaging 56, but this was boosted by two mammoth scores of 215 and 143 at Lord’s and the Oval respectively. Outside of these two innings, Smith struggled, registering only one other half century. English crowds had yet to see the unstoppable force that returned 4 years later. Smith also isn’t an aesthetically pleasing batsman. He has a series of ticks and twitches that mark him out as different. This combination contributed to England fans underestimating him.
In 2019, Smith averaged 110.57 from his 4 Ashes tests, England’s bowlers seemed unable to get him out. The only doubt came when Smith received a sickening blow to the head from the hostile bowling of Jofra Archer, forcing him to miss the 2nd innings at Lord’s and the subsequent Headingley test with concussion. Smith was idiosyncratic, inspirational and imperious. But the crowds booed his arrival at the crease, thanks to his role in the “Sandpaper-gate” scandal under his captaincy.
There are some who still boo when he walks to the crease. Several years on with his punishment fully served for the crime committed, this is unnecessary. English fans still sing “we saw you cry on the telly”, in response to Smith’s emotional press conference when he gave up the captaincy. He even quipped to his team this week that it was nice to see them get a flavour of what he has been through in England, following Alex Carey’s controversial stumping of Jonny Bairstow at Lord’s.
Smith can take comfort that he is not first great Australian player to be booed in England. In 1938, Don Bradman was booed by the crowd at the Oval. Bradman declined to enforce the follow on and go for a win in a tour match against Surrey, prompting uproar. Shane Warne was pilloried around English grounds for many following his ban for the use of a controlled substance. Warne finally won them over with his majestic performance in defeat in 2005. Similarly, English fans cheered at the sight of Ricky Ponting bleeding from the face in the same Ashes series. Ponting is now a widely liked and respected pundit, having been applauded from the field after his match saving century at Old Trafford in that greatest of Ashes series.
The truth is, despite his role in the ball tampering scandal that left a stain on his reputation, Smith deserves better than he gets from the English fans. He is the 3rd highest run scorer for Australia in England, behind Don Bradman and Allan Border. His 1793 runs in England have come at an average of 61. He has scored runs in multiple game situations, from dashing counter attacks to backs to the wall resistance. In some ways, the jeers of the crowd show just how good he is.
In 2019, there were moments when it seemed inconceivable that England would get Smith out. They often resorted to giving him a single and hoping they could get the breakthrough at the other end. The game will be poorer for his absence when he does retire, which hopefully is not in his immediate plans.
The crowds here should recognise Smith’s greatness sooner rather than later. Smith deserves this acclaim while he is still playing, not once he is retired. That’s not to say England fans should applaud every run he makes, he’s still the opposition. But maybe it is time to cut out the booing and churlish singing. Smith should be applauded as a once in a lifetime talent for his achievements with bat in hand.
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