- Saturday, April 20, 2024
By: Admin Super
Ashes Test, which is a series of annual games between the cricket teams of England and Australia, definitely had some interesting events and situations. As we already have the results, Australia managed to become a winner despite playing on the home stadiums of the English team.
Moreover, according to Stumped.App, the player that had the biggest attention of the cricket lovers is Steve Smith. He is an Australian cricketer, one of the best batsmen in the world. So, what has happened during the Tests and how is Steve Smith now?
So, what happened to Steve Smith that managed to create the first precedent of using a substitute for the rest of the game in cricket history. Everything was great during the First Test, and Steve scored his ninth and tenth century. However, things took an unfortunate turn during the Second Test. On the fourth day of the Test, the Australian batsman was hit in the neck by an English bowling all-rounder Jofra Archer. Even though the hit was incredibly strong, Smith continued playing as there were no signs of a concussion.
However, on the fifth day of the Second Test, the Australian player was forced to leave the field and skip the game.
The doctors gave a statement saying that Steve Smith suffered a concussion with delayed symptoms. This situation ignited a lot of discussions in the industry. For example, many people argued that it was a deliberate hit by Jofra Archer to eliminate the competition and destroy the spirit of the Australian team. Nevertheless, the coaches of both teams behaved professionally. Justin Langer, who is a coach for the Australian national cricket team, stated that this situation will not influence the performance and attitude of his players, and they have no intention of accusing anyone of anything. As a result, Steve Smith was forced to miss all the games of the Third Test.
But as we have already stated, the aftermath of the situation was phenomenal for cricket history. After the hit, Steve Smith was replaced by Marnus Labuschagne on the fifth day of the Second Test. This has never happened before during the professional cricket games. This was the first precedent that initiated a lot of discussions on this matter and some substantial changes in the politics of the International Cricket Council.
For example, this precedent made it possible to use substitutes if a player receives a concussion. Before that, a team was forced to operate without one player. Moreover, the media coverage of the scandal resulted in some serious improvements. For example, the International Cricket Council held a meeting with players. The main goal was to explain the importance of wearing anti-concussion helmets. The example of Steve Smith who suffered a lot of pain and was ruled out from the Third Test became a cautionary tale. For that reason, the International Cricket Council made it obligatory for the players to wear those helmets during the matches. The reaction to this decision was very positive. Many professional commentators as well as regular cricket lovers agreed with the decision and stated that it should have been done a lot sooner.
Despite suffering a delayed concussion and being not in the greatest physical from, Steve Smith returned during the Fourth Test and proved that he does not give up easily. For example, during the match on the Old Trafford Stadium, he managed to score his third double-century in Test Matches. Moreover, he became the first batsman who scored over 500 runs in three successive Ashes series. Without any doubt, the comeback of the player helped the Australian team. They managed to become winners.
Considering everything, the Ashes series of 2019 was not the greatest experience for an Australian batsman, Steve Smith. Nevertheless, despite suffering the concussion after the hit by Jofra Archer and being ruled out from the Third Test, the player managed to return and demonstrate his skills and stamina during the Fourth Test. Moreover, it created an important precedent of substituting players that suffered a concussion. The ICC also stepped up and made the wearing of anti-concussion helmets obligatory. We are sure that Steve Smith will fully recover and continue showing the great results, professional skills and dedication to cricket.
