Nasser Hussain lauds Steve Smith's leadership in 2025 Champions Trophy
What's the story
Former England captain Nasser Hussain has praised Steve Smith for his outstanding performance and leadership in the ongoing Champions Trophy. Although Australia crashed out in the semi-finals against India, Hussain hailed Smith for his brilliant batting and captaincy skills in the tournament. "His captaincy in this tournament was great as well," Nasser said in a video by Sky Sports cricket, acknowledging Smith's ability to make the most of resources despite missing key players. Here's more.
Career highlights
Smith's ODI career: A journey of triumphs and challenges
Smith recently announced his retirement from One Day Internationals (ODIs) after a stellar career of 170 matches. His career included two ICC Cricket World Cup wins in 2015 and 2023, and many memorable performances. Despite his ODI success, Smith's Test career has often overshadowed these accomplishments. Hussain stressed that "his skills are not waning," emphasizing Smith's consistent performance over the last year.
Final performance
Smith's final ODI match: A fitting farewell
In his last ODI, Smith scored 73 runs off 96 balls before being dismissed by Mohammed Shami. In the Champions Trophy, he scored a total of 97 runs in three innings at an average of 48.50. Although he retires from ODIs, the veteran will continue to play for Australia in Test and T20I formats.
Legacy
Smith's remarkable ODI statistics and leadership legacy
Australia's 16th most-capped player in ODIs, Smith leaves behind an impressive record of 5,800 runs at an average of 43.28 with a strike rate of 86.96 per 100 balls faced. Smith's career includes 12 centuries and 35 fifties, with a personal best score of 164 against New Zealand in SCG in 2016. Smith led Australia in 64 ODIs. Recently, he was the stand-in skipper in the ODI series against Sri Lanka and the Champions Trophy with Pat Cummins injured.
World Cup wins
Smith won two ODI World Cups with the Aussies
As mentioned, Smith won the 2015 ODI World Cup with Australia. He finished as his side's top scorer with 402 runs from 8 matches at 67. He smashed one century and 4 fifties (SR: 91.57). Thereafter, he won the 2023 ODI World Cup as Australia thumped India in the final. In 10 matches, he scored 302 runs at 33.55 (50s: 2).
Information
Second-highest individual score by an Australian captain in Champions Trophy
On Tuesday, Smith posted the second-highest individual score by an Australian captain in Champions Trophy history. He is only behind the legendary Ricky Ponting, who hammered a brilliant 111*(115) against England in the 2009 Champions Trophy semi-final.