NEWS
Follow UsSince the start of 2020, Steve Smith has endured a dip in his form, averaging 33.75, with him scoring just 244 runs in the recently concluded Ashes series. His dip in form has not affected Australia, with the emergence of Marnus Labuschagne, who during the Ashes series became the No.1 Test batter in Men’s cricket.
Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting backed Smith to regain his form, stating that the dip has come about because of the standards that he has set for himself in the longest format, where he averages 59.87.
"The standards that he'd set himself for so long, for that three - or four-year period where he took batting to another level, to try and maintain that for four or five or six years no-one's ever done it, and no-one will probably ever do it," Ponting told cricket.com.au.
"He will come up with the right answers because the best players are the best problem solvers, and if he has got a problem... then he'll work it out pretty quickly.
"You're going to have your ups and downs and if he's averaging (in the thirties) in Australia on the back of a couple of lean years, most other batsmen would take that."
Australia, on the back of Travis Head’s outstanding series, where he scored 357 runs and Marnus Labuschagne, with 335 runs emerged as the top run-scorers for the hosts. Ponting insisted that despite Australia’s success, Smith will be keen to look back on what did not work for him during the series.
"The other interesting dynamic with (Smith) is the Marnus factor and even other guys that have come in and have dominated like he did. There are other guys that are helping out now.”
"I know what he's like and he will look back at this even though Australia has won the series... he'll look back at his own game and break it down and ask himself those questions as to why things haven't worked out as much as he would have liked."