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Smith will bring 'buzz' to Test side - Nielsen

Australia's coach Tim Nielsen is excited by the prospect of Steven Smith being let loose on Test cricket this month in the absence of the injured Nathan Hauritz

Brydon Coverdale
Brydon Coverdale
02-Jul-2010
Steven Smith's confidence has impressed the coach Tim Nielsen  •  PA Photos

Steven Smith's confidence has impressed the coach Tim Nielsen  •  PA Photos

Australia's coach Tim Nielsen is excited by the prospect of Steven Smith being let loose on Test cricket this month in the absence of the injured Nathan Hauritz. Smith is almost certain to make his debut at Lord's against Pakistan and although there is debate over whether his bowling is up to Test standard, he undoubtedly brings an x-factor to the side.
Despite his youth Smith, 21, has displayed his self-belief during the one-day series, including when he tried a reverse slog-sweep off Tim Bresnan in the 50th over at The Oval on Wednesday. It didn't work, but it's that sort of confidence that confidence in both his batting and his bowling that has impressed Nielsen and reassures him that the allrounder is ready for Test cricket.
"He really adds a buzz to our group," Nielsen said. "It's going to be really good to see him in the Test match squad and playing Test match cricket in a couple of weeks time.
"The big thing with him is his willingness to continually throw the ball up there and get them to drive. If he gets smacked back over his head for six, he's not frightened to try and land it in the rough again. That's a skill or a confidence that doesn't come along easily whether you're 30 or 20.
"That's the positive thing, that we see all the confidence in him running around in the field and playing reverse sweeps, but the real confidence is that under pressure he's still willing to do the things that count to have a chance of success. That's pretty important for us."
The most likely scenario is that Smith will bat at No. 8 in the Tests against Pakistan and act as the leading spinner, although his batting is arguably the stronger part of his game. Phillip Hughes was the last Australian Test debutant to create such a sense of anticipation, and while he started with a bang in South Africa, his form slumped and he was dropped during last year's Ashes.
It's a scenario the Australians don't want to repeat with Smith, but they are also mindful that such young men have long futures in the game and any experience at this stage should be a positive. Nielsen said they didn't want to place too much pressure on Smith and the best strategy would be to let him play his natural game rather than altering it for five-day cricket.
"We've got to be careful," Nielsen said. "He's been around the group for verging on six months now, which is good for us. He's been to the Test match series in New Zealand, he's been through an Australian summer, he's been here now.
"The way it's pointing, he'll more than likely get a chance to play some cricket in the next couple of weeks with the Test matches. That's really positive, but we've just got to let him learn and let him play and enjoy all the stuff he does."
Smith has collected five wickets at 26.60 during the one-day series and he has played a couple of very useful innings. At first-class level, his batting average of 56.22 is the standout against his bowling mark of 48.84, although he did take 7 for 64 in his most recent first-class appearance.

Brydon Coverdale is a staff writer at Cricinfo