Steve Smith Confident Amid Australia’s Unsettled Lineup For Perth Test

Stand-in captain Steve Smith projected calm despite Australia’s disrupted preparations for the first Ashes Test in Perth.

Steve Smith appeared calm and relaxed while addressing media as Australia’s stand-in captain on the eve of the first Ashes Test. Australia enters the series with an unsettled lineup, missing key bowlers and fielding two debutants.

Regular captain Pat Cummins and fellow pace bowler Josh Hazlewood are both missing from a home Test for the first time since 2022. Debutants Brendan Doggett and Jake Weatherald will play, marking the first dual debut for Australia since 2019.

Steve Smith Learning From Past Setbacks

Smith acknowledged the importance of starting well but drew confidence from last year’s comeback after losing the first Test to India.

“I think you want to try and win the first Test match and get yourself ahead of the game, I suppose, or the series,” Smith said on Thursday. “But I think either way we look at last summer, we lost the first Test match and we were able to claw the series back.

“We’ve got a lot of belief in that change room, if the result doesn’t go our way this week, that we can turn it around. We saw it last year.”

Australia has implemented lessons from last year’s slow start. Most squad members played in the recent Sheffield Shield round, ensuring better preparation than before the India series.

Smith, entering his ninth Ashes series, described the pre-series hype as standard. “It’s pretty standard,” Smith said. “I’ve been involved in a few now, and there’s always so many words said before the series.”

The captain emphasized ignoring external noise and focusing on team processes. Australia has maintained privacy around selection decisions, with no leaks about the initial squad or playing XI.

Regarding England’s aggressive ‘Bazball’ approach, Smith remained pragmatic. “I think it’s just playing the tempo of the game that needs to be played at each certain time,” he said.

Despite the team’s unsettled nature, Australia appears prepared to handle whatever outcome emerges in Perth, with Cummins likely returning for subsequent matches.