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HomeAshesSteve Smith to play County cricket for Sussex in the buildup to...

Steve Smith to play County cricket for Sussex in the buildup to Ashes & WTC final

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Last Updated on 2 years by Charbel Coorey

Cricket News: Steve Smith to play County cricket for Sussex in the buildup to Ashes & WTC final | Steve Smith county cricket news

Sussex have signed former Australian skipper Steve Smith for three matches of the LV= Insurance County Championship matches in May 2023, ESPNCricinfo reports.

“I am excited about joining Sussex for a few games in May and hopefully making a contribution to a successful season. I am particularly looking forward to working with the younger players in the squad and hoping I can provide some guidance to them,” Smith’s official statement on the development read.

The 33-year-old will likely represent Sussex in their matches against Worcestershire, Leicestershire and Glamorgan in the month of May.

County stint to help Smith ahead of possible WTC Final & Ashes

The stint will allow the Australian batting mainstay to better acclimatize himself to the conditions in England as Pat Cummins’ men have a solid chance of making it to the finals of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2021-23 that will be held in the subsequent month.

“We are thrilled to have Steve Smith available for our County Championship matches in May. To have arguably the world’s best batter play for Sussex just before an eagerly awaited Ashes Test series is great for us and the County Championship,” Rob Andrew, chief executive officer (CEO) of Sussex Cricket, stated.

Andrew acknowledged that Surrey’s form in the championship has not been satisfactory for a ‘number of years’. However, he expressed hope that the county side would progress in a new direction with a positive and ambitious attitude under the tutelage of head coach Paul Farbrace.

The Surrey boss also asserted that attracting a player of Smith’s calibre will act as a source of encouragement to the county’s home-grown players. Regardless of the WTC, Australia will be heading to England for the Ashes that will run from 16th June to 30th July. Smith averages 59.55 with six centuries and seven half-centuries across 16 Tests in England. He has been in good touch in red-ball cricket – maintaining an average of 58.40 in 11 Tests in 2022.

However, England skipper Ben Stokes is quite dismissive of Smith’s county stint having an impact on the outcome of the Ashes later this year. The southpaw shared an Instagram story quoting a BBC article suggesting the same in the late hours of Thursday.

Tarkesh Jha
Tarkesh Jha
Tarkesh Jha is a media professional and cricket writer who has managed social media content, public relations (PR) and marketing related content for cricketer Ajinkya Rahane and cricket presenter and stand-up comedian Vikram Sathaye. Also, Tarkesh has been featured in some leading publications such as Sportskeeda, Khel Now, firstpost.com, and cnbctv18.com

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