The Aussie lad is on a high after the winning streak of Rajasthan Royals this season at the IPL. And why not? The team that is touted to have used its resources in the best manner possible in all its seasons, are letting their batting, bowling and fielding do the talking, and Steve Smith is right there among the best on the field.
The Sydney (New South Whales) born right-hand batsman Steven Peter Devereux Smith is almost boyish in his earnestness as he is focused on the field. The tall and lanky player who is tipped to take over from Aussie Captain Michael Clarke and has already been captain on a couple of occasions, is introverted and quiet, he has a certain calm that belies his young 25-year-old frame. He also loves India and its vibrance though, right now, cricket is on his mind, especially after the high of Australia winning the World Cup.
On RR’s winning run, Steve says, “Is terrific — it’s nice to have started the competition well and obviously we want to take this forward and keep at it till the end as we are on top of the table at this point in time (April 28). I hope that we can keep playing good cricket and do better and I also do better.”
Working with ‘The Wall’, the RR mentor Rahul Dravid, among other greats and of course, learning with the World Cup-winning Australian team as vice-captain (and captain) is something that Smith feels has given him a better perspective, “Rahul has obviously got so much experience of playing at the international level, and to be able to share that experience with all of us overseas players is wonderful. Particularly, the young Indian players, it’s very valuable for them.”
Smudge, as he is called fondly, is a regular, “mate” who loves the outdoors, and given a chance, he is out there, enjoying the beauty Down Under. And the fact that he lives close to the beach is something that comes in handy when he gets time off cricket, “Back home, I really love being outdoors, I love the beach and I live quite close to it so I try to get down there and swim in the ocean. I also try to stay as relaxed as I can since playing cricket is quite an everyday affair,” says the son of an Aussie father and a British mother.
Not many know that Smith is a horse racing buff too. He loves horse racing and is also been reported to be very close to trainer Chris Waller with whom he has a share of three horses. “I own small shares in a couple of horses and it’s a nice sort of hobby. It’s nice to watch them compete, and run behind them in anticipation,” he says, and does he ride too, he laughs shyly, saying, “Nah, I do not ride myself. But I have always loved horses,” as he rattles out the names of a few of his horses, which we are still trying to decipher.
He also loves playing in India but wishes the team was on their home ground, Jaipur, and emphasises on the closeness among the RR players, “Obviously, we are not in Jaipur which is a little bit unfortunate but we had a good time in Ahmedabad and we are going to be based in Mumbai till the end of the tournament — as a team, us guys stick together and we are pretty tight-knit.”
Candid though thoughtful, Smudge needs no prodding to speak about the love of his life, girlfriend Dani Willis. “Dani — she has been amazing for me over the past three years or so. She travels as much as she can with me when I am touring, and she is a great support network that I rely on. I am really enjoying and reveling being with her.” He also does not mind giving out a few Dani snippets. “She is studying law back home so she is into her books quite a bit and pretty busy with her college work. When we get a chance, we like to go down to the beach and swim and do outdoorsy things together which is also a great stress reliever after a tough season.”
The 1989-born Aussie, who is known for his unorthodox play, has slowly created his own style in cricket, is also the current captain of the Australian Test team and has been ranked the fourth best test batsmen in the world according to ICC rankings. But deep down, it is a simple and focused effort. Training, learning and doing your best is his mantra, and his idol? “I think growing up, Mark Waugh was probably my idol. He is such a terrific player and someone who I have always looked upto since I was a child,” concludes the guy who hopes to see RR win the silverware this year.
In Bengaluru for a bowl out event, he wowed the crowd with his batting, “It is nice to be here and see so many people coming out to Kingfisher Premiere Bowl Out. I am looking forward to getting into the nets and hopefully smacking a few. There are so many fans and it amazes me how much cricket runs in their psyche,” says the cricket champ, who gave local fans some bowling practice and literally smacked a few out of the park!
The guy, who loves a meal at his local haunt, the Clovelly Hotel and looks up to Brad Haddin, hopes to handle the mantle of leadership soon, and one look into his intense blue eyes and it’s obvious his heart is all set for it.
