Steve Smith Disappointed With his Performance in the ODI Series Against England
Published - 27 Jan 2018, 05:57 PM | Updated - 22 Aug 2024, 11:48 PM
Aussie skipper Steve Smith hopes to finish off the long and gruelling Australian summer with a bang in the final ODI against England which is set to be played in the new Perth Stadium tomorrow. The ODI series will conclude with the unveiling of the new stadium in Burswood. The final ODI in the new stadium in Perth is ready to record the most attended sports event in Perth. The stadium boast of 55,000 seat ground and is expected to be jampacked.
It will be the final assignment for Smith and Co before they get a breather ahead of the Test series against South Africa in their territory. He has been rested from the Tri-series also involving England and New Zealand and David Warner the vice-captain will lead the team in his absence. Smith has struggled in the ODI series after a sensational run in the Test series; Smith has performed pretty poorly in the ODI series averaging a below par 22.5 and perhaps also showing signs of fatigue due to the long tour.
“It has been a long summer,” Smith was quoted as saying by reporters in Perth. “The way I’ve batted in this one-day series has been disappointing. I just haven’t felt quite at home where I’d like to be. So I’d like to try and end this one-day series with a score and help the boys win the last game of the series.”
There is a doubt surrounding the drop-in pitch which came in for a lot of criticism during a Perth Scorchers match in the BBL last month. However, the officials are confident that a more conducive wicket will be used for the showpiece event and this was the same sentiment echoed by Smith.
“We just don’t know what to expect yet. Obviously, none of us has played here,” he said. “The wicket looks pretty good. It feels quite hard at the moment. And the stadium is magnificent. When it is packed it’s going to be an incredible atmosphere. It’s got a bit of an MCG feel to it a little bit. It would be nice if they could replicate what the WACA does out here (in regards to the pitch).”
Meanwhile, Aaron Finch has been ruled out of the clash after unable to recover from a minor hamstring injury.
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