The 'real' Steven Smith question...

[Spark]

I also don't see why the fact that he has comparably better hand eye coordination now means he'll have worse hand eye coordination later

 

[Daemon]

I also don't see why the fact that he has comparably better hand eye coordination now means he'll have worse hand eye coordination later

isn't it a thing that deteriorates

 

[Spikey]

i mean, does anyone actually know why players get worse

 

[Gob]

Smitteh could go **** up when/if he starts to miss straight ones tbh

 

[Burgey]

Doesn’t matter who you are, if you start kicking straight ones you’re ****ed

 

[SeamUp]

Depends which way you look at it. Based on current form yes, but AB has also achieved some miraculous feats; scoring runs everywhere against top class class bowlers. Easy to forget how good and highly regarded he was before the dip in the form.

When we look at the overall career, I doubt any current player is "much better" than AB.

Easily forgotten.

Numbers Game: The complete batsman | Cricket | ESPN Cricinfo

 

[Spikey]

Smitteh could go **** up when/if he starts to miss straight ones tbh

Gob gonna get run off the board with blasphemy like this

 

[Adders]

I don't think there's any truth to this whatsoever. There's no reason to think he relies on hand eye coordination more than anyone else. This is a weird assumption that keeps getting perpetuated.

I don't for a second pretend to be an expert on the more technical side to batting. But he is surely a dead set lbw candidate cept for the fact the **** never misses?? If that ever does go then you would think he'd be in some trouble, but tbh I wouldn't be surprised if he just changed something and went on his merry way.

BTW, I hate him.

 

[Spark]

I don't for a second pretend to be an expert on the more technical side to batting. But he is surely a dead set lbw candidate cept for the fact the **** never misses?? If that ever does go then you would think he'd be in some trouble, but tbh I wouldn't be surprised if he just changed something and went on his merry way.

BTW, I hate him.

That's just because his head is still and his balance is perfect. Technique, not hand-eye.

 

[OverratedSanity]

That's just because his head is still and his balance is perfect.

Tbf these things can degrade rapidly with age too.

Not saying it'll necessarily happen to him but it's a possibility, and has happened to many a great batsman.

 

[TheJediBrah]

I don't for a second pretend to be an expert on the more technical side to batting. But he is surely a dead set lbw candidate cept for the fact the **** never misses?? If that ever does go then you would think he'd be in some trouble, but tbh I wouldn't be surprised if he just changed something and went on his merry way.

BTW, I hate him.

Every single player is a "dead set lbw candidate" (or bowled candidate) if they miss. That's why when the ball's on the stumps you try not to miss it. Smith being set up a bit further across than most when playing the ball doesn't change anything, because he's in a perfect position to play it. Hence why he "never misses".

Again, it's really weird that people perpetuate these theories that he's more vulnerable to certain things because of his different set up and footwork. He's not, if anything it's the opposite.

 

[stephen]

The reason he never misses balls on his pads is that he puts himself into a position where a ball on off stump is to him where a ball on leg stump is to a regular batsman. You know how most batsmen will feel they missed out if they don't smack a ball on the pads for 4? Well Smith gets bowlers to put more balls on his pads due to his technique.

Most batsmen get lbw when the ball passes under the eye line. To the leg side of the eye line is easier to track and gets put away much more easily. Smith makes sure that balls which would get him lbw are to the leg side of his eye line which he can then easily flick away. The balls under his eye line hit him outside the line.

The thing which is most amazing about Smith's technique is that he doesn't nick off more often. It's his judgement outside off that's incredible. He never seems cramped for room even though he pushes further across than most batsmen. His wagon wheel from the 200 in the last test showed a really nice set of scoring shots running right around the field (except dead straight). That is the sign of a batsman in total commands of their leg and off side play.

 

[Furball]

Isn't Smith's movement across a more extreme version of what Katich used to do?

I don't remember Katich being a massive lbw candidate either.

 

[Burgey]

For unto us a TPC was born.....

 

[Daemon]

Every single player is a "dead set lbw candidate" (or bowled candidate) if they miss. That's why when the ball's on the stumps you try not to miss it. Smith being set up a bit further across than most when playing the ball doesn't change anything, because he's in a perfect position to play it. Hence why he "never misses".

Again, it's really weird that people perpetuate these theories that he's more vulnerable to certain things because of his different set up and footwork. He's not, if anything it's the opposite.

If you're playing across the line to stuff on off stump where batsmen usually play straight, your chances of lbw increase surely. He's just got great balance and never falls over.

 

[TheJediBrah]

If you're playing across the line to stuff on off stump where batsmen usually play straight, your chances of lbw increase surely. He's just got great balance and never falls over.

No because he is essentially playing straight in a perfect position. For other players it would definitely increase the chances of lbw if they just set up across the stumps, but not for him. This should be obvious due to how rarely he gets out lbw in that fashion.

The theory that he's not getting out lbw because of some freakish hand-eye coordination despite his technique is just silly.

 

[Daemon]

I don't understand what you mean by essentially playing straight in a perfect position

 

[Burgey]

Every great player picks balls from off stump through mid wicket ffs

 

[Daemon]

Nobody else has a wagon wheel quite like smiths though

 

[Spikey]

he hasn't reached the heights of arnotts's wagon wheels