"I stuck Ian Chappell's column on my bathroom mirror and looked at it everyday" - Steve Smith on silencing his critics

Seasoned Australian Test batter Steve Smith has revealed what primarily motivated his remarkable comeback from a one-year ban from professional cricket. The batter received a ban following the ball-tampering fiasco in 2018. Steve Smith also opened up on his appointment as Pat Cummins' deputy ahead of the forthcoming Ashes series.

The 2019 Ashes series in England proved to be hugely memorable for Smith. He made 144 and 142 in the series opener at Edgbaston. He played a significant role in Australia's 251-run victory. In four Tests, he amassed a jaw-dropping 774 runs at 110.57 as the tourists retained the urn.

Smith referred to Ian Chappell's criticism during his banishment and how it triggered a comeback for the ages. The former Australian captain wrote in his column for Code Sports:

"I remember, for example, Ian Chappell had written a column saying I wouldn’t be the same batter after my year away from the game. I cut it out, stuck it on my bathroom mirror and looked at it every morning and night when I brushed my teeth. When I scored centuries in both innings at Edgbaston to start the 2019 Ashes series, it felt like I was saying to the critics: “I haven’t lost it. I’m still here.” It was a good feeling after everything that had gone on."

He further added:

"After that series, the motivation for me changed a bit. I was driven less by the desire to prove people wrong and more by the opportunity to help out younger teammates."

Although Steve Smith is thrilled to be the vice-captain, he believes every player can be a leader. The 32-year old continued saying:

"It’s an absolute honour to be asked to vice-captain but, as I’ve learned along the way, you don’t necessarily need an official title to be a leader within a team. It took me a little while to figure that out. In the first couple of series after my ban, I was probably more driven by a motivation to prove my critics wrong."

Smith's appointment as vice-captain of the Test team marks his return to leadership duty for Australia for the first time since 2018. Cricket Australia banned the right-handed batter from any captaincy position for a year after returning to international cricket.

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Steve Smith shares details of his darkest period

Cameron Bancroft and Steve Smith during a press conference in South Africa. (Credits: Twitter)

Steve Smith was serving as captain when the ball-tampering saga happened and he knew of it. He admitted that the episode tormented his mental state. He wrote:

"The darkest period was the time between being handed my ban and fronting the press conference to talk about it. There was a shortness of breath at times, to the point where it felt like I was struggling to breathe, and I know now that they were anxiety attacks. I had never experienced anything like it before."

Smith further added:

"It felt like my world was falling apart. My life had always been cricket. It was all I’d ever really done and known. For the previous ten years, my schedule was basically mapped out for me. I went where I was to go, did what I was supposed to do. That was all gone, at least for the next year. I didn’t know what to do."

Smith will form a vital part of Australia's batting unit in the upcoming Ashes series. The right-handed batter will hope to maintain his dominance over England, smashing 2800 Test runs against them at 65.12 with 11 centuries.