Steven Peter Devereux Smith (born 2 June 1989) is an Australian international cricketer and former captain of the Australian national team. Smith is consistently rated as one of the top-ranked Test batsmen in the world, according to the ICC Player Rankings. Smith has been called the “best since Bradman” due to his distinctively high Test batting average.

Steve Smith is considered one of the best batsman of modern times across all the formats. Smith initially started as a leg-spinner and received a lot of criticism on his election in the national side. But Steve Smith turned things in his favour he got himself featured among the best batsmen in the world.

Times of Sports(TOS) listed Steve Smith’s biography which includes his career in the domestic and international format along with his various records and achievements.

Steve Smith Domestic Career

Steve Smith made his debut in the 2007-2008 season and was proving to be a leg-spinner who could generate a lot of turns and was handy with the bat in the lower order. A lot of people felt that he had more talent with the bat than the ball.

Eventually, Smith started working on his batting and in the 2013 Ashes he displayed strong batsmanship and from thereon his graph went upward. Smith’s reputation got a big hit when he faced a one-year ban from international cricket after being involved in the ball-tampering incident. But Steve Smith came back with more resilience with his excellent performance in the 2019 ICC World Cup and the Ashes.

Steve Smith was selected for the 2008 Under-19 Cricket World Cup. The same year, he made his first-class debut against Western Australia. He made his Twenty20 cricket debut on 1 January 2008 playing for the New South Wales in the 2008 Big Bash competition.

In the 2011-12 season, he joined the Sydney Sixers and acted as a captain in the absence of Brad Haddin. Smith also played in the Caribbean Premier League, Bangladesh Premier League and Global T20 Canada.

International Career

ODI Career

Smith made his ODI debut against West Indies on 19 February 2010. Smith didn’t get a call for the ODI team for a long time before being selected for the 2014 Zimbabwe Tri-series. After this, he made a trip to the UAE to play three ODIs. He made his first ODI ton in the first match of the series. Steve Smith was made the Man of the Series for his batting performances.

After this, Smith played in the ODI series against South Africa. During the series, he made his first century on Australian soil. He was selected for the 2015 Cricket World and the tri-series ODI competition preceding it. Smith played a crucial role in Australia’s World Cup-winning campaign. He made a century against India cricket team in the semi-final and a not out 58 in the final. He ended the tournament as Australia’s leading run-getter and was named in the team of the tournament by the ICC.

The Aussies toured South Africa in 2016 and lost the series 5-0. In the ODI series against New Zealand later that year, Smith scored 165 runs at the SCG, the highest ODI score at the ground. Following this was the ODI series against the Pakistan cricket team where Smith played a vital role in Australia’s 4-1 series triumph. Smith made a return to the International cricket after his band when he was selected for the 2019 Cricket World Cup. He scored 379 runs in the tournament at an average of 37.90.

Test Career

Steve Smith made his Test debut against Pakistan in July of 2010. Smith was selected for the 2010-11 Ashes series and played three Tests in the series, He scored two half-centuries in the series. His next Test series was against India in 2013. He scored one half-century in the two matches that he played in the series.

After he played against England where he scored his first Test century in the final Test match. Smith was then called for the squad of the 2013-14 Ashes series. Australia cricket team whitewashed the five-match series and Smith scored 327 runs including two centuries.

The series against Pakistan was not a good one for Smith and the Australian team as they both the Test matches. India toured Australia in 2015. Steve Smith scored a century in the first innings of the first match. He made his captaincy debut for Australia in the second match of the series. He was named the man of the match in the second Test. Smith ended the series with four consecutive Test centuries and was named the Man of the Series.

Smith in Ashes Format

Smith scored 508 runs in the 2015 Ashes, the most by a player in the series. But he was also criticised for his poor performance against seam bowling. England regained the Ashes 3-2. After this series, Smith was appointed as the full-time captain of the Australian Test team.

Australia played Test series against New Zealand and West Indies in late 2015 and early 2016. Australia won both the series with Steve performing particularly strongly against the West Indies.

The tour of Sri Lanka in 2016 was a disaster for the team as well as Smith as a captain as the Aussies lost it 3-0. Australia hosted South Africa for a three-match Test series which they lost 2-1, marking the end of Smith’s five consecutive Test losses as the captain.

After this Smith captained the side in Test series against South Africa and Pakistan. The Aussies won both the series 3-0 with Steve Smith showing a strong outing in almost all the matches and was awarded Man of the Series in the series against Pakistan.

Smith began the tour of India in 2017 on a high note by scoring a ton in the first Test match. Smith was the highest run-scorer in the series with 499 runs at an average of 71.29, although his side lost the series 2-1.

Smith had a good start to the 2017-18 Ashes as he scored a 141 not out in the first match of the series. Australia won the series 4-0 with Smith scoring 687 runs at an average of 137.40. His captaincy even gained praise from his English counterpart.

Steve Smith – Ball Tampered Ban

On 24 March 2018, during the third Test of the series against South Africa, Cameron Bancroft was seen using sandpaper to rough up one side of the ball. Alongside Bancroft, captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner were found to be involved in the incident.

At the press conference at the end of the day’s play, Bancroft and Steve Smith admitted to ball-tampering and Smith also admitted that the plan was made by the “leadership group”.

They were forced to step down as captain and vice-captain of the Australian team. On 27 March 2018, Smith, Warner, and Bancroft were suspended and sent back home on the charge of bringing the game into dispute.

Smith was found to have misled match officials and others, and as the captain did not act to prevent it. He was therefore banned from all international and domestic cricket for 12 months starting from 29 March 2018. He was also debarred from consideration for any team leadership role for an additional 12 months.

Steve Smith’s comeback

In July 2019, Smith was named in the squad for the 2019 Ashes. In the first match of the series, he scored centuries in both the innings. Smith suffered a concussion during the second Test match was ruled out of the third Test. In the fourth match of the series, he scored his third double century in Test cricket and became the first batsman to score 500 or more runs in three successive Ashes.

T20I Career

He made his T20I debut against Pakistan in 2010 playing as a leg spinner. He was elected for the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 where he took 11 wickets in seven matches. He toured South Africa for a three-match T20 series in 2014.

Smith struggled throughout the 2016 T20 World Cup as the Aussies were knocked out of the tournament by India. Smith was rested for the T20 series against New Zealand and England to give him time to prepare for the Test series against South Africa in 2018.

IPL Career

Smith was first bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore for the 2010 IPL. The next year, he was bought by Kochi Tuskers for 200,00 USD. He was picked up by Rajasthan Royals for the 2015 season and was given the captaincy of the team in the latter half of the season. Smith played for the Rising Pune Supergiants in the 2016 IPL and scored his maiden T20 century in that season.

He was named the captain of the team for the 2017 season. He led his team to the final of the 2017 season where they lost to the Mumbai Indians. In March 2018, after being banned by Cricket Australia for his involvement in a ball-tampering incident, Smith’s contract with Rajasthan Royals was terminated by the BCCI. Smith was appointed as the captain of the Rajasthan Royals side in the middle of the 2019 season in which he scored 319 runs including three fifties.

Records

• Joint most consecutive 50+ scores in World Cup history with five such scores in the 2015 Cricket World Cup.
• Joint most 50+ scores in Cricket World Cup knockouts with four such scores.
• Only player to win the ICC Test Player of the Year award more than once.
• Youngest player to win the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy (ICC Cricketer of the Year award).
• Fastest Australian batsman and sixth-fastest batsman in the world to reach 10,000 runs in International cricket.
• Only the second batsman to score more than 1,000 runs in Test cricket in four consecutive calendar years.
• Fastest Australian batsman to reach 3,000 One Day International (ODI) runs.
• Fifth player to win the Allan Border Medal for more than once.
• First cricketer to win the McGilvray Medal four times.
• During the 2018 Australian tour to South Africa, he equalled the joint world record for taking five catches as a non-wicketkeeper in a test inning and became the 11th overall fielder to achieve this feat.

Awards and Accolades

• 2015 – Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy (ICC Cricketer of the Year)
• ICC Test Player of the Year -2015, 2017
• 2015, 2016, 2017 – ICC Test Team of the Year
• ICC ODI Team of the Year – 2015
• 2015, 2018 – Allan Border Medal
• Australian Test Player of the Year – 2015, 2018
• 2015 – Australian One Day International Player of the Year
• 2017–18,2019 – Compton–Miller Medal
• 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 – McGilvray Medal
• 2009–10, 2011–12 – Steve Waugh Award
• 2015 – Wisden Cricketers of the Year