Smith hits back after Healy’s criticism of Aussie top order

1 day ago 3

Bridgetown: Steve Smith has leapt to the defence of Australian batting coach Michael Di Venuto after former Test wicketkeeper Ian Healy claimed the national side’s top order had “regressed” in recent years.

Australia’s regular No.4 is back with teammates ahead of the second Test against the West Indies in Grenada after being granted permission to continue his rehabilitation in New York following a compound dislocation to the small finger on his right hand.

Smith revealed he tested the injury in a Manhattan baseball batting cage with a friend and is confident he’ll be fit for the second match of the series – one in which Australia’s top four will be eager to fire after a shaky start in Barbados.

In the aftermath of a 159-run win, Healy said questions needed to be asked of Di Venuto, the former Australian cricketer with more than 25,000 first-class runs to his name.

Usman Khawaja’s 47 in the first innings was the only score by an Australian top four batsman above 15 on a difficult pitch in Bridgetown.

“Australian cricket’s batting head coach and every state batting coach [should be under pressure] because there’s not enough runs being scored around the nation,” Healy said on SEN Radio.

Steve Smith after being dismissed in the World Test Championship.

“Michael Di Venuto – a friend of mine who is a good coach and a good man – has held the job since mid-2021.

“In this time, our national team batting has regressed in performance at Test level. That’s all that’s important to me, the performance.

“I don’t care how you do it or what will make it easier for you – just get it done.”

Smith, arguably Australia’s best batsman since Donald Bradman, refuted Healy’s suggestion that Di Venuto was under pressure. It is no secret pitches have become more bowler friendly in recent years, particularly in Australia, as batting averages drop.

Sam Konstas speaks with batting coach Michael Di Venuto during an Australia nets session at Galle.

“Any criticism of ‘Diva’, [I am] completely against it,” Smith said. “He works as hard as anyone. He knows batting inside out. He’s seen cricket all around the world. He’s done a wonderful job for a long time now and the boys are really enjoying working with him.

“He’s not the one out there actually doing the batting. Guys have to be able to figure it out themselves out in the middle and sometimes you can’t have someone holding your hand out there.”

Smith is confident he will be right to play in Grenada after having stitches taken out of his finger on Sunday in Barbados. Provided he gets through training on Tuesday and Wednesday in the Caribbean, Smith will be in Australia’s XI for the next match beginning Thursday.

The 36-year-old watched Australia’s recent win from the comfort of his New York apartment after being told he needed to try and limit sweating in a bid to have the wound on his finger heal faster.

An image Steve Smith posted to Instagram after injuring his finger in the WTC cricket final at Lord’s.

Smith even travelled to 71st Street and hit some cricket balls at a batting cage while wearing a splint. He will experiment with a smaller one this week against Australia’s quick bowlers at training.

“I sent some videos to the medical team and they were pretty happy with the shots I played,” Smith said.

“Hitting balls, it felt completely fine. I don’t feel any pain or anything. It’s just getting used to the splint on and the slightly limited movement.

“I was honestly just bored here [in Barbados]. I couldn’t do anything. I was sort of stuck in the room doing nothing. [Wife] Dani was there [in New York] and the dog’s back there … so I sat in the air-conditioning and watched the boys play.”

Smith is obsessed with batting and loves being out in the middle more than anyone but admits he may have dodged a bullet in a Test that ended in three days.

“It looked like a pretty tricky surface to bat on,” Smith said. “It’s probably one of the few occasions I was happy that I wasn’t out there. It was a pretty good game of cricket in the end.”

As for the catch off Mitchell Starc that busted his finger at Lord’s, Smith said he didn’t pick it up properly.

“I looked straight down and [thought] that doesn’t look right. It was pretty disgusting,” Smith said. “I wasn’t sure of the extent of the damage. Fortunately, there was no fracture, just a compound dislocation. The doc said he wanted to put my finger back in as we were running off. That I didn’t have much interest in. I was feeling pretty sick at that stage just from the look of it.”