Steve Smith signed with Sussex, crowd goes berserk

Steve Smith, a well-known batter from Australia, has confirmed that he will represent Sussex in three of the upcoming County Championship matches. The decision was made to help him get ready for the Ashes, which are scheduled to begin on June 16 at Edgbaston, and a possible World Test Championship final.

The 33-year-old has only ever appeared in county cricket, despite playing domestic T20 matches there. Michael Vaughan, the former captain of England, was overjoyed by the news and referred to it as “a great signing of our game.”

However, Steve’s move to Sussex just before the crucial Ashes left some English fans very disappointed

They said that allowing Smith to play a few games before the big series would benefit the Australian cricketer in the five-match series and called the team “traitors.”

Prior to an Ashes series, it has long been controversial to host rival players in domestic competitions. Even in 2021, former England coach Trevor Bayliss stated that Australian Sheffield Shield teams would never rush to sign English cricketers in advance of an Ashes series in Australia.

We are delighted to announce the signing of Steve Smith on a short-term deal that will see him play three games for Sussex in May. 🏏 #GOSBTS

— Sussex Cricket (@SussexCCC) January 19, 2023

However, the outside noise does not bother Steve. He stated that because he will be there to simply enjoy his game, playing in the county won’t really matter.

“Not really. I’ve played a lot over there. I don’t think it’s going to change too much. I’m just going to play some cricket and have some fun. I don’t think it makes a real difference,”

Smith said.

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“India and the Ashes are the biggest hurdles as Australian cricketers. To have a little bit of a break after the India series and then get some games in for Sussex should be good fun. I was in contact with Paul Farbrace last night, head of cricket at Sussex. They’re excited to have me over for a couple of games. Hopefully, I can spend some time with some of their young batters and mentor them and share my experiences with them,”

he concluded.

It will be interesting to see how Smith will fare in his country stint and cope with English fans.