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ICC CHAMPIONS TROPHY

June 1, 2017

Steve Smith

Edgbaston, Birmingham

Approved by Raj

Q. Have you picked an 11 for tomorrow?
STEVE SMITH: We haven't yet. We're going to have a look at the conditions in the morning, see what the forecast is like, and we'll decide our final 11 then.

Q. There's a lot of excitement about the potential for the four quicks, but does that seem unlikely at least now? Or do you see them being unleashed sooner rather than later?
STEVE SMITH: I don't think we'll end up going with the four big quicks. We've got a couple of options there as all-rounders. You know, Stoinis did very well in New Zealand in the last series, and Hastings has done very well for us over in these conditions. He's a little bit slower than the others and hits the seam and has some good skills throughout the middle as well.

So we've got a couple of options there. So we probably won't end up going with the four big quicks to begin the series.

Q. Will they each get a go, though? Because everyone's excited to see, obviously Pat comes back, and James Pattinson's back, and Mitch is back from injury. Will they all get a go sometime, or do you stick to the three best ones that's performing best?
STEVE SMITH: I can't make any promises there. It's hard to change a winning side quite often.

I mean, we might make little changes throughout, depending on the conditions and how we're going. So I can't make any promises there.

Q. Can you give us a bit of a feel as to how excited you are about their availability, not just for this tournament but obviously there's a lot of cricket to come. There's a test tour at Bangladesh. There's the Ashes towards the end -- is this something where everyone is excited to get to where they're all available?
STEVE SMITH: Absolutely. A couple of the guys have had pretty long layoffs with injuries and things like that. It's great. They're all fit and bowling well and ready to go. It's hard always to fit four big, fast bowlers into one lineup. But it's great that we've certainly got those options there now.

Q. Can you give us an idea of what they've been like in the nets? And have they been really fast? Because that's the expectation -- they're all four really fast guys if they're really pouring it on?
STEVE SMITH: It's very challenging in the nets, particularly if there's a little bit in the wicket. So it's been a great challenge for our batters. It's always nice facing those kind of guys and being challenged.

So everyone's a little bit quicker in the nets as well. So when you get out in the middle, things seem a little bit easier, and hopefully it shows when we bat tomorrow.

Q. How is Marcus? Obviously he's coming off that shoulder injury? Is he bowling at full capacity?
STEVE SMITH: Yeah, he's actually bowling quite well. He actually felt just as quick as some of the other quicks, to be honest, in the nets.

So, yeah, he's coming along nice; but, yeah, we've probably got a decision to make on our number eight spot tomorrow, whether it's him or John Hastings. So we'll wait and see tomorrow.

Q. Are you worried that New Zealand will draw on its Chappellâ€“Hadlee victory, or is it a different proposition because you weren't playing that series and you're in the ICC?
STEVE SMITH: Look, obviously, we didn't play our best cricket down in New Zealand. And they got on top of us. So, yeah, we've played a lot against each other recently. So both sides know each other really well.

This is obviously a big tournament, one of the two big ICC tournaments. So we're excited to get going. And I'm sure it will be a good clash tomorrow.

Q. Does the fact that Marcus got that 100 against New Zealand, against the team you're playing tomorrow, does that help him; like if he got it against another team, will it be a bit less relevant?
STEVE SMITH: Probably doesn't matter a great deal. It's obviously different conditions here to New Zealand, or slightly different. A little bit similar in ways, I guess. But different ground, different circumstances. A few guys are back in the team. So we'll wait and see what we feel is the best option tomorrow.

Q. It's been mixed results over the past, I guess, 10 to 15 games, with a lot of different guys coming in on the team, sort of some guys have been tried and that sort of thing. Do you feel like this is the opportunity, though, with probably the best possible score available to really reassert Australia's dominance as a one-day team?
STEVE SMITH: Yeah. And we certainly hold ourselves very highly in these tournaments. We've got a very good record in the ICC tournaments over the last, I guess, 10 to 15 years.

So we work our hardest in these tournaments to try and win them. And we've got a good group of players here to do that.

Everyone's been batting particularly well in the nets. The bowlers have been steaming in and been great as well. So everyone's pumped and ready to get started tomorrow.

Q. Are you excited, though, to have the best team available rather than, as they say, across the courts probably the past 12 months there's been a few sort of mix and match sort of sides, are you excited you've got the best players available?
STEVE SMITH: Yeah, it's nice. Yeah, you always want to be playing your best team in big tournaments. So guys have stood up. And I'm excited about the squad we've got here. And as I said, I'm excited to get going tomorrow.

Q. Given you weren't playing Chappellâ€“Hadlee, how much more formidable is your side now that you have returned?
STEVE SMITH: Oh, it's nice to be back, obviously. You never want to miss any series, particularly as the captain of the side.

So, yeah, hopefully I can provide something tomorrow in the game. I'm really excited and looking forward to getting stuck into it. These big tournaments are the ones you want to be involved in and where your big players or your senior players need to step up. So I'm excited about that responsibility as well.

Q. How much of a distraction is the ongoing pay dispute with Cricket Australia?
STEVE SMITH: No, it's been good. The guys have been great. We know that the ACA's handling everything back home. And for us, our focus is on this tournament, and it needs to be, because we're coming up against some good opposition.

It's a very cutthroat tournament. And you need to be switched on the whole time. So the boys are focused on that.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

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