Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting rated Steve Smith the second best Australian batsman of all time behind the legendary Don Bradman. He said the team’s current vice-captain solves problems faster than most and has no doubt as to why he is the best.
A dominant force in the game’s more extended format, Steve Smith has been one of the best batsmen in Test cricket. In a lot of hitters today, there’s no one close to him who can match his caliber in this particular format. Such is the aura about him that he is often branded on the same page as Sir Don Bradman.
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Steve Smith played a pivotal role in Australia becoming the ICC World Test Champions as he was among the top riders in this cycle. So far, he has played 97 Tests, scoring around 9K runs and has an original average of 60.05 to go with 31 Test hundreds to his name.
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Ricky Ponting said he has no doubt that Steve Smith is Australia’s second best batsman behind Don Bradman. He highlighted how his average has been the same for a long time. Speaking to Sky Sports, he said:
“On the Australian list, there’s Bradman and certainly behind him is Steve Smith. He has 31 hundreds in 97 games, that strike rate is phenomenal. I have no doubt that he is currently ranked No. 2 (behind Bradman). To have that average stretched out for so many games, and it’s still not over!“
Also Read: Ashes 2023: “Huge Mistake” – Twitter Stunned As Australia Dropped Mitchell Starc From Playing XI In First Ashes Test At Edgbaston
Ashes 2023: He definitely solves problems faster than most – Ricky Ponting on Steve Smith
Ricky Ponting admitted that Steve Smith is beyond him, as he used to solve problems faster than most. He explained:
“Yes, you have (a tip about me) right now (smiles). After a hundred test matches, I averaged 60. But after that I fell off pretty quickly (laughs). There is no doubt that he solves problems faster than most. He’s also not too afraid of trying to change things. When I look back on my career, I was a little afraid to change things.”
Steve Smith is currently part of the Australian squad for Ashes 2023. He is averaging around 60 in tests against England and will be a huge threat to the Ben Stokes-led side.
Also read: Ashes 2023: ‘Ashes go to Australia and England cricketers at pinnacle’: Steve Smith makes bold comment while laying ashes on WTC
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