	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

ICC CHAMPIONS TROPHY

June 5, 2017

Steven Smith

The Oval, London

Abandoned (no results)

Q. It stopped raining at half-past seven, play was scheduled to restart at half-past 8.00. Is that frustrating for you knowing you were 24 balls away but time elapsed where it was clearly not raining?
STEVE SMITH: Yeah, a little bit frustrating obviously not to get a result in. You know, the groundsmen, they perhaps could have shown a bit more urgency being a big tournament. But you know, I think they did the best job they could, and the umpires said it was an 8.30 start, so you've got to do what the umpires say.

Q. How hard was it raining when you first went off, because it didn't appear to be too heavy and at that stage it was just 16 minutes away from getting the 20th over. Did you want to go off? Was it too heavy? What did they say to you?
STEVE SMITH: Of course I didn't want to go off. I was happy to keep batting through the rain. But you know, obviously the umpires are there to make a decision and I think drinks was at the end of that over, which probably didn't help.

You know, had we kept on -- if the game had just carried on, perhaps they may have had a different opinion. But to be fair, it was raining reasonably hard when we did come off, yeah.

Q. Can I just ask, also, not sure whether you know, but do you know why this was a day/night game, because if it was a day game, it would have finished in time. I think it's the only day/night game in the tournament so far.
STEVE SMITH: I wouldn't have a clue. (Laughter).

Q. Any positives; Mitchell Starc's form coming back?
STEVE SMITH: I thought all our bowlers were a lot better today. We hit some good areas early on and challenged the defence of Bangladeshi batsmen. Everyone that bowled I thought did a pretty good job today, and it was nice that we were able to turn things around from the way things went in the first game against New Zealand.

Q. Adam Zampa bowled very well, but you brought him on quite late. What was the reason for that?
STEVE SMITH: Well, they had two left-handers in at one stage batting for awhile, and you know, a lot of the fast bowlers were bowling the other end, because it was quite a strong breeze.

You know, the breeze didn't suit Zampa bowling from the other end, and I thought Head bowled quite well, as well. I was waiting for one of the lefties to get out before I brought him on and I think I brought him on pretty quickly when we had a right-hander in there, and he bowled particularly well then, as well.

Q. Obviously you have a lot of batsmen that haven't had a bat in a long time, and you're going into a game you've got to win on Saturday. I mean, does that make it even harder given you don't know where those guys are at in terms of how they are batting?
STEVE SMITH: I'm sure they will be okay. You know, most of the guys have been playing a lot of cricket, anyway, having been at the IPL and things like that. You know, I think once they get out in the middle, things will just click into place, and yeah, hopefully we can play well on the 10th in Birmingham.

Q. Just back to the rain delays. Can you just sort of try and take us into the dressing room a bit about what you're like and what the team is like sitting there, knowing you've got 16 minutes left and all this is happening; are you looking at the window or trying to take your mind off? What's it like?
STEVE SMITH: Guys are doing all different things. I was actually playing a crossword (Laughter). You know, you can't do much when it's raining, really. You just have to switch off and know that if you do get back on, be ready to be switched on and be ready to go from ball one. Rain delays aren't that much fun to be honest with you.

Q. Related to rain, you've played a lot of cricket for many, many years, park cricket, club cricket, etc. This idea that you can play through rain but you can't restart while it's raining, that playing condition that prevails: Is that something that you think should be considered in the laws of the game and the playing conditions; that we don't have this ridiculous situation where a minimal amount of rain can prevent you from going back on?
STEVE SMITH: I don't know the answer to that. It's been around a long time, I reckon, that rule. That's probably something to take up with the ICC.

Q. Is this result easier to accept after your non-result in the previous match? You said you got away on that one, and now you're on the other end. Is this easier to accept because of the previous game?
STEVE SMITH: Well, I'm not sure about that. Obviously the game the other day, we weren't in a great position to win that game. Having said that, funnier things have happened, and you never know.

So yeah, the other day wasn't great but this game, you know, we were going pretty well, and things were looking good. Disappointing not to get a win but can't do much about the weather and we can't control that. So you know, the result -- the equation is pretty simple for us now.

Q. Are you going to curse the rain? Things going to look difficult for you guys to qualify for the semis.
STEVE SMITH: Say that again?

Q. Are you going to curse the rain?
STEVE SMITH: I think as I said just now, I think it makes the equation pretty simple for us. We have to beat England and I think then it's -- I think then we're through. I haven't really read into all the -- anything else that's happened. I guess we've just got to beat England.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297