Shoaib Akhtar on dealing with Steve Smith: 'I'd have tried to hurt him

Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar critiqued Steve Smith's technique and said that he 'would have tried to hurt' him if he was playing during the former's days in the international cricket. Shoaib Akhtar said that he was surprised at how Steve Smith managed to make his batting effective even though he had no style and technique. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Shoaib Akhtar said that he would have definitely tried to hurt Steve Smith had he been playing during Shoaib Akhtar's stint with Pakistan's national team. Further, Shoaib Akhtar said that it was impossible to hurt a guy like Steve Smith who was playing so well. The former Pakistani pacer wished the Australian success in the future and hailed him as a 'one of a kind' cricketer. 

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Shoaib Akhtar impressed by Steve Smith's technique and style

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Steve Smith shines for Australia

Steve Smith had come out to the middle at the fall of David Warner's wicket. Chasing a target of 151, the Aussies had got off to a good start as the opening pair of David Warner and captain Aaron Finch had added 30 runs before the southpaw was castled by Mohammad Amir in the quest of scoring quick runs. Warner's opening partner Finch did not last long either and the hosts were reduced to 48/2. Steve Smith then anchored the Australian run chase as he and Ben McDermott added 58 runs for the third wicket stand before McDermott was trapped in front of the wicket of Imad Wasim. Meanwhile, Smith ensured that the Aussies lost no more wickets as he took the responsibility of scoring the bulk of runs. In the end, his efforts paid off as Australia reached the target in the 19th over. Smith remained unbeaten on a 51-ball 80 at a strike rate of 156.86 including 11 boundaries and a maximum. 

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Steve Smith's statistics

While Steve Smith's track record as a batsman is illustrious, especially in Tests, his record in T20 leaves much to be desired. His T20 average is just 27.48 in 35 matches. However, Steve Smith attributed it to him being a leg-spinner who batted lower down the order. Since moving up to number 3, his average has gone up to 48.57. He said he used to bat at number 8 or 9, which was not easy and affected his record. But he stated he had faith in his ability, and he uses placement and timing to his advantage. The 30-year-old's versatility can be judged from his nickname ''Mr. Fix-it'', and he takes his role as the problem solver seriously. Steve Smith said that while chasing, he takes into account the run rate required, the bowlers to target, and works out the math to successfully chase it down.

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