Steve Smith: Australia's Best Batter — 61.64 Test Average, 239* at Edgbaston, Sandpaper Return
Steven Peter Devereux Smith is an Australian batsman born on 2 June 1989 in Kogarah, New South Wales. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Test batsmen of his generation, with a Test average of 61.64+ across 90+ Tests — among the highest averages for any batter with 5,000+ Test runs in history (alongside Bradman, Pollock, and Sutcliffe). He scored 239 not out against England at Edgbaston in the 2019 Ashes — the highest individual score in an Ashes Test in England. He was banned from cricket for 12 months in March 2018 following the sandpaper ball-tampering incident in Cape Town (alongside David Warner and Cameron Bancroft). He returned to Test cricket in August 2019 and scored 626 runs in 7 innings in the Ashes that summer (2 centuries, 3 fifties) — the most runs in an Ashes series since Don Bradman in 1948.
Steven Peter Devereux Smith was born on 2 June 1989 in Kogarah, New South Wales. He made his Test debut for Australia against Pakistan in July 2010 in England (as a leg-spinning all-rounder). He was dropped and recalled several times before cementing his place as a top-order batsman. By 2014-15, batting at number 3 or 4, he was recognised as one of the best Test batsmen in the world. His unique stance — a trigger movement that takes him across his stumps before the ball is bowled — combined with exceptional hand-eye coordination allows him to hit balls that textbook coaching says should be left. He became Australia's Test captain in 2015.
The Cape Town Sandpaper Incident and Ban
In March 2018, during the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town, Australia's Cameron Bancroft was filmed using sandpaper on the ball. Captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner were implicated: Smith and Warner were each banned from cricket for 12 months, Bancroft for 9 months. Smith also received a two-year leadership ban — he cannot captain Australia in Tests or ODIs until 2020 at the earliest. The incident severely damaged Australia's reputation and led to extensive reviews of their team culture. Smith's ban ended a period where he had been the world's number one Test batter.
The Return — 626 Ashes Runs in 2019
Steve Smith returned to Test cricket at Edgbaston in August 2019 for the first Ashes Test. He scored 144 in the first innings and — after being hit on the neck by a Jofra Archer bouncer that required a concussion substitute in the second innings — returned for the second Test at Lord's to score 92 and 80. At Edgbaston in the first Test alone, his 144 changed the match. Overall in the 2019 Ashes, Smith scored 626 runs in 7 innings at an average of 110.33 — the most runs in an Ashes series since Don Bradman in 1948. His 239 not out at Edgbaston in 2019 remains the highest individual score in an Ashes Test in England.
Frequently asked questions
What is Steve Smith's Test batting average and how does it compare historically?
Steve Smith's Test batting average of 61.64+ across 90+ Tests places him among the highest averages for any batter with 5,000+ Test runs in cricket history — a group that includes Don Bradman (99.94), Graeme Pollock (60.97), and Herbert Sutcliffe (60.73). He is widely regarded as the best Test batsman of his generation.
What happened in the 2018 sandpaper ball-tampering incident?
In March 2018 during the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town, Cameron Bancroft was filmed using sandpaper on the ball. Captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner were implicated — Smith and Warner were each banned for 12 months, Bancroft for 9. Smith also received a two-year leadership ban. They returned to international cricket in 2019. The incident damaged Australia's reputation and led to a review of team culture.