'I stuck Ian Chappell's column on my bathroom mirror' - Steve Smith on gathering motivation during a rough phase in career

Australia’s ace batter Steve Smith recently opened up on what kept motivating him after a rough patch in his career. It is known to all that Smith was banned for one year from professional cricket after his involvement in the infamous ball-tampering saga in 2018. He stated that he pasted a cut out of Ian Chappell’s column (where he criticized Smith)  on his washroom mirror and kept looking at it.

It has to be noted that the 2019 Ashes series was a huge milestone in Smith’s career where he smashed 144 and 142 in the opening game at Edgbaston. While playing a significant role in Australia’s victory, he smashed 774 runs at a stunning average of 110.57.

“I remember, for example, Ian Chappell had written a column saying I wouldn’t be the same batter after my year away from the game. I cut it out, stuck it on my bathroom mirror, and looked at it every morning and night when I brushed my teeth. When I scored centuries in both innings at Edgbaston to start the 2019 Ashes series, it felt like I was saying to the critics: “I haven’t lost it. I’m still here.” It was a good feeling after everything that had gone on,” wrote Smith in his column for Code Sports.

It’s an absolute honour to be asked to vice-captain: Steve Smith

Moving further in the column, Smith stated that he is really happy to be Cummins’ deputy from the upcoming Ashes. However, he stated that one necessarily doesn’t have to be a captain officially to lead the side. He concluded by adding that now his game is not all about proving his critics wrong but helping his younger teammates.

“It’s an absolute honour to be asked to vice-captain but, as I’ve learned along the way, you don’t necessarily need an official title to be a leader within a team. It took me a little while to figure that out. In the first couple of series after my ban, I was probably more driven by a motivation to prove my critics wrong,” added Smith.