"I am already a powerful guy" - PBKS' Odean Smith on working with power-hitting coach Julian Wood in IPL 2022

Punjab Kings (PBKS) all-rounder Odean Smith took IPL 2022 by storm with his cameo against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Sunday at the DY Patil Sports Academy.

His 8-ball 25, which included three towering sixes and one boundary, powered the Punjab franchise to chase down 205 runs.

Meanwhile, PBKS, for the first time in IPL history, have hired a power-hitting coach in Julian Wood, who is a pioneer in training batters to excel in striking the ball hard. The former cricketer has been working overtime to improve the batters' power-hitting techniques.

When asked about his discussions with Wood, Smith stressed that it has been more about the technical side because he already has a lot of power.

Speaking to NDTV, Odean Smith said:

"I am already a strong person, so the power-hitting coach has told me a little bit of technical stuff, in terms of keeping my shape and all that. There have a been few things I have had to work on, nothing that technical. I am already a powerful guy, there have been only a few things that I have worked on with him."

The 25-year-old all-rounder from Jamaica is known for playing power-packed knocks in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and Punjab fans will be waiting to see more of it as the tournament unfolds.

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"Andre Russell is one of those I have looked up on" - Odean Smith

The youngster is part of a generation of West Indies all-rounders who strike the ball very hard besides racking up some good pace with the ball in hand and are dominating the T20 leagues across the globe.

Odean Smith, who grew up watching the likes of Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard, revealed that he draws inspiration from countryman Andre Russell.

He continued:

"I think Andre Russell is one of those I have looked up on. We have a similar role to play in most T20 games and in terms of bowling fast and then hitting a few boundaries at the back end of the innings. He has been an inspiration to me. I think he will always be that inspiration to drive me to go forward."

Smith believes the knock against Bangalore will have him in good stead for the rest of the games in IPL 2022.

"Well, I helped my team to register victory against the RCB but I am not going to say that this performance will hold me in good stead in the entire competition. I have a lot of work to do and as a team, we have stuff to do. I just went out there and I knew what I had to do and that was to get bat onto the ball. That is exactly what I did out there."

Besides his pyrotechnics with the bat, Odean Smith bowled at a brisk pace, clocking 148.8 kmph. However, he was a bit wayward, conceding 52 runs in four overs.

While admitting that bowling fast is his passion, Smith asserted that he wants to work on his execution bit.

He concluded by saying:

"Yes, I have always been passionate about bowling fast. But at the end of the day, it is not on the top of my list. It is more about execution than bowling fast. But it has always been a passion to run in and bowl fast."

Odean Smith will hope to continue the momentum as Punjab lock horns with the Kolkata Knight Riders in their next game on Friday at the Wankhede Stadium, according to the IPL schedule.