Former Australia skipper and world number 1 Test batsman Steve Smith shared the secret of his success saying that he rewards himself when he scores runs and meanwhile, punishes himself when he fails to score.
Notably, Smith, who joined international cricket after serving one-year ban, roared in his comeback in Test cricket as he scored a whopping 774 runs at an average of 110.57 in the Ashes series this year.
However, the classy right-hander disappointed his fans by scoring only 4 runs in the first Test against Pakistan, which the Aussies won by an innings and five runs.
After the match, Smith punished himself by running all the way back from the Gabba stadium to the team hotel as he missed the team bus.
“I always punish myself when I get no runs, just like I reward myself when I score runs with a chocolate bar at the end of the night if I get a hundred,” Smith said on Tuesday.
“So yeah, if I get no runs I always like to have a run or go to the gym or do something just to give myself a bit of a punishment,” he added.
Notably, Yasir Shah is the bowler who dismissed Smith in the first Test and this was the seventh time in the space of only 11 innings that Smith became the victim of the Pakistani leg-spinner.
Reacting to his dismissal, Smith said: “Yasir’s send-off has given him extra motivation to be more careful in the 2nd Test, which will be a Pink ball affair in Adelaide, played from November 29 to December 3.”
“I feel the times he (Yasir Shah) has got me out, I have been on a few runs. I have been slogging in a couple of second innings ones where I was playing some funky shots and stuff so I’m not too worried.
“It (the send-off) gave me a bit more motivation next game to not get out to him. So, I will probably be a little bit more disciplined against him,” he added.