Steve Waugh compares Steven Smith to Sachin Tendulkar

Waugh believes Smith’s hunger for scoring big is similar to that of Sachin Tendulkar

Former Australian skipper Steve Waugh has likened Steven Smith to Sachin Tendulkar, ESPNCricinfo reports. The 50-year-old praised Smith for his aggressive batting and leadership and is fully confident that Australia can return to its dominating best under his leadership.

Waugh had recently stated Indian Test skipper Virat Kohli as the best batsman in the world at present but chose arguably an even better analogue to describe Smith. He said that though Smith is not the most technically gifted batsmen around, he more than makes up for it with his temperament and ability to score big like Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar.

"He has got really good hands and that compensates perhaps for his footwork not being as sharp as some of the other players," Waugh said. "He is not technically a perfect player, but he has got that inner desire more to score runs, a bit like a Tendulkar. Once he gets a hundred he wants to go on and get a big score every time."

Smith was appointed as Australia’s Test skipper after Michael Clarke retired from international cricket following the Ashes debacle while he led the ODI side to a 3-2 series victory over England in his first series as skipper in the format. Waugh, one of Australia’s most successful captain in history, backed Smith to be a good skipper but admitted that the 26-year-old is yet to carve out an identity for himself as a skipper.

"I think he's pretty much an aggressive batsman with a good mindset. I think he takes it into the captaincy as well. He loves batting, he loves scoring runs and the other guys they like his leadership, they follow what he is doing,” Waugh said.

"Allan Border was a leader by what he did on the field; he led by example. Mark Taylor was more of a talker. I guess I was a pretty aggressive captain. We tried to win at all costs. And then you have got Michael Clarke and Ricky Ponting. But he [Smith] has got to do it his way. He can't copy what I've done or what Mark Taylor has done or Ricky Ponting. He has got to find out what his style is."

English fast bowler James Anderson recently admitted that favourable pitch conditions had a huge role to play in his side’s 3-2 victory in the 2015 Ashes series, but Waugh doesn‘t believe that Australia can use it as an excuse. He was extremely critical of the manner of Australia’s defeat in the fourth Ashes Test at Nottingham where the visitors were dismissed for just 60 runs in their first innings within just 18.3 overs.

"We are very good on flat wickets at the moment, but when the ball turns or if there is a bit of swing we seem to be struggling as a batting unit. That's all about just working a little bit harder, and putting more value on your wicket," Waugh said.

"I think Indian batsmen do that very well. Australians, we have got to learn to do that, and perhaps it's about acknowledging the tough moments in the game where you just got to get through whichever way you can. And, it's ok to lose a session, but you can't lose it disastrously. You can't lose seven or eight wickets. That is what the team's been doing."

Despite the recent setbacks, Waugh is confident that Australia can recover quickly enough with a number of quality players coming through.

“We won't be far away. We have got an exceptional crop of young bowlers who, when they get their maturity and strength together, will be able to take 20 wickets,” Waugh said. "The batsmen will come through. I think Usman Khawaja will have a good year this year. He has not picked as yet, but I believe he is a quality Test player. I think Joe Burns can do well. We just need people like the Marsh brothers to lift a bit because they have got a lot of talent. If they can do that, along with Smith and [David] Warner and some other players, we won't be far away."