Former Australia skipper Steve Smith has been in the news ever since his return from the ‘Sandpaper Gate’ ban for his prolific run-scoring. In fact, during the Ashes, he did speak about how he has issues with sleeping as he keeps thinking of his time at the crease and the ways to take on opposition bowlers. And current skipper Tim Paine on Thursday revealed that the batsman is working on this aspect.
“I know he’s working with people at Cricket Australia and elsewhere on trying to find a better night’s sleep,” Paine told reporters on Thursday.
“It’s not a great endorsement for his Koala mattress company but he’s working on trying to get better at that and trying to relax a bit more between games. I don’t think it’s an easy fix for someone who’s wired the way Steve is.”
Recently, Smith was in the news for punishing himself after getting out cheaply to Yasir Shah in the first Test of the series against Pakistan.
After the end of the 1st Test against Pakistan on Sunday, 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.
Reacting to his dismissal by the leg-spinner, Smith, who could just manage four runs in the first Test against Pakistan, 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.