Transformation

The journey started on July 13th 2010. The entire nation had been looking for a spinner since the great Late Shane Warne had retired a couple of years ago. A number of contenders came and went and finally on a bright sunny morning at the home of cricket in Lords, a young New South Welshman with only a few first class games under his belt got his opportunity against Pakistan. He made an instant impact with the ball and contributed to his team's win but at first glance, he appeared a steady bowler at best who could contribute a bit with the bat when needed.

He got his first opportunity in the Ashes in the same year when Australia famously lost a home series against England after more than three decades. He couldn't contribute much with the ball and as far as his batting was concerned, he was a walking wicket to say the least. On expected lines, he was dropped from the test team following that series and went back to domestic cricket to try and work on his skills.

What followed a couple of years later is possibly the biggest transformation in the game of cricket. From a talented spinner to being the best test batsman in the world, this guy with his unorthodox yet effective technique has blown everyone's minds. At first galnce, he would still look like someone who would be easy to bowl to which is anything but true. Averaging around 60 for a decade is no joke, and possibly the best since Bradman. His greatness and achievements are not merely restricted to stats either. If ever one needs examples of motivation or strong will power, it would be best advised to tune into Ashes 2019 where he was making a comeback to cricket after a year long ban. From being booed to getting a standing ovation at the end of the series, he amassed a staggering 774 runs in tough english conditions at an average of 110.56.

Big players are those that are beyond mere stats. On the biggest stage in test cricket, Steve Smith compiled a brilliant century and took a couple of key catches to lead his team to the ICC World Test Championship 2023, thereby stamping his greatness. He currently stands at 32 test centuries in just 99 matches and is well on his way to breaking more records.

Steven Peter Deveraux Smith. This guy motivates all of us to strive harder in all facets of life and reminds us of the fact that if we are determined and willing to put in the hard yards, we can achieve all our dreams and possibly even beyond.