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Steve Smith reveals reason for unusual batting stance

During a podcast organised by inaugural IPL champions Rajasthan Royals, Smith opened up about his unusual technique to New Zealand spinner Ish Sodhi.

Steve Smith has an unconventional technique, which most have failed to decode

Bengaluru, April 7: Australian and Rajasthan Royals batsman Steve Smith says his unorthodox batting stance, which has bewildered many, is to limit ways in which he can be dismissed.

Run-machine Smith, who is the current world number one Test batsman, has amassed 7227 runs in 73 Tests and 4162 runs in ODIs with an unconventional technique, which most have failed to decode.

To solve the puzzle of many, Smith opened up about his unusual technique to New Zealand spinner Ish Sodhi in a podcast organised by inaugural IPL champions Rajasthan Royals.

"It depends on who's bowling, how is the wicket playing, how I gonna score and stuff like that or how people are trying to get me out, probably that determines how open I am or otherwise how closed I am," said Smith.

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"But my general stance where my back foot is going to almost off stump, or may be even outside at stages, I know that anything outside my eyeline isn't hitting the stumps," he added.

"For me, you shouldn't get out if the ball is not hitting the stumps, so that is just a trick from me when I first started doing it, just limiting the ways I get out."

The 30-year-old said his off-stump stance helps him to leave the ball which are outside his line of sight.

"Sometimes, I get trapped in front but I'm okay with that at stages, knowing that if it is outside my eyeline, I don't need to try and play the ball, I can just leave that," he said.

Story first published: Tuesday, April 7, 2020, 14:22 [IST]
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