Steven Smith was on track to become Australia's best batsman since Sir Donald Bradman only to fall from grace and be sacked as Australia's Test captain and suspended for 12 months for his involvement in the ball tampering scandal at Newlands in March 2018. He was punished for allowing team-mates Cameron Bancroft and David Warner to conspire to use sandpaper on the ball during the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town.

Smith was stripped of the national captaincy in all three forms and lost his national contract. He was banned from any leadership position in Australian cricket for two years and was unable to play international cricket or Australian domestic cricket for 12 months. He was also dropped from the 2018 IPL. During his ban he played in the Global T20 Canada, the Caribbean Premier League, Sydney Grade cricket for Sutherland and the Bangladesh Premier League. He injured his elbow playing in the BPL and needed surgery which saw him miss the Pakistan Super League but he returned for the Rajasthan Royals in the 2019 IPL during which time his ban from Australian cricket ended.

He started his Test career as a legspinner who batted at No.8; by the time he was named Australia's captain five years later, he was the No.1 Test batsman in the world and no more than an occasional bowler. Smith's talent was apparent early, but as a young batsman he had more moving parts than an orchestra, only they didn't always work in harmony. He went away and worked on his game and returned to the Test side two years later with a much tighter technique. He still fidgeted between balls but could play every shot in the book, and a few more that defied words besides. Smith is quick-footed and adept at facing spin, but is equally comfortable driving and pulling the fast bowlers. His first Test century came at The Oval in the 2013 Ashes and his composure was apparent in the way he brought up the milestone with a six safely lofted down the ground. Over the next year he continued to improve and 2014-15 became the Summer of Steve, as he scored centuries in all four first innings of the home Tests against India.

It was also in the 2014-15 home summer that he became Australia's 45th Test captain, filling in for the injured Michael Clarke in three Tests. Despite being only 25 at the time the extra responsibility clearly didn't hamper his run-making. It became clear that Smith was to be Clarke's successor, a move that was confirmed after Clarke's retirement at the end of the 2015 Ashes in England.

As Smith's batting developed his bowling became less frequently sighted, although he could still land the odd fizzing leg-break and winkle out a wicket or two. In the field Smith's athleticism and instinct stands out, even in a high-quality fielding side like Australia. He has also become a key man in Australia's ODI side, and was his country's leading run scorer in their triumphant 2015 World Cup campaign. He became the captain all three forms when he led Australia in the 2016 World T20 in India.

He became the No.1-ranked Test batsman in the world after dominating Test cricket over a three-year stretch between 2015 and 2018. He made three centuries on Australia's Test tour of India in 2017 and three more in the 4-0 Ashes victory over England in 2017-18 before controversy rocked his career.
ESPNcricinfo staff