The main round of the T20 World Cup 2022 – Super 12 – kicked off on Saturday with hosts Australia taking on New Zealand at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney.
Australian skipper Aaron Finch dropped the big news and, even though it was almost confirmed beforehand, it still became a point of discussion among fans: Steve Smith, one of the greatest ever batters of all time, was dropped from Australia’s T20I XI.
Steve Smith had been given the tag of “Mr. Fix it” since last year in this Australian T20I side and had played his role well in last year’s T20 World Cup in the UAE. Slotted in at number 4 earlier, Smith used to come in to bat when there were a couple of early wickets and block the wicket flow, or he has pushed down the order when the top three batted for longer periods.
Steve Smith’s numbers are weaker compared to Tim David
However, with the addition of Tim David in the eleven, somebody had to make way; and despite being given the trust by the skipper and management previously, the sword fell on Steve Smith when Australia began their title defense on Saturday.
In fact, Chairman of Selectors George Bailey had already indicated the Smith will be pushed out of the XI to make space for the belligerent finisher Tim David.
“I think all the members of our 15 have a role to play but I don’t think that will be starting in the 11 for Steve,” Bailey had said three days ago. “I think that… should we need a role from him at some stage, then absolutely.”
Steve Smith’s numbers do justify his exclusion to include the powerful finisher that is Tim David. In 10 T20Is Smith has played in 2022, he’s scored 141 runs at an average of 20 and an under-par strike rate of 120 with a best of 37*. Of all the proper batters in this Australian T20 squad, Smith’s strike rate is the lowest, and much less than David’s 165.
The likes of Marcus Stoinis and Mitchell Marsh, both of whom were pondered by fans to be replaced by David, though, didn’t have any doubts over their places from the management because both offer balance to the side with their bowling.
It was always going to be Steve Smith who was to be dropped for Tim David. The “Mr. Fix it” tag wasn’t enough this time.
