Steve Smith: The imperfectly perfect genius

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Sportskeeda

Humans aren't perfect. They aren't meant to be either.

It is the stereotyping done by us, human beings which makes us expect every successful individual to be manufactured from a flawless mould.

As much as we adore the archetypal 'perfect' versions of our race, most of the legends we see across fields are the so-called 'freaks'. They may have temperament issues, they may have a clumsy personality, they may not be great orators but what matters the most is that they are truer to their art than anyone else.

The enigma that is Steve Smith

Probably the first batting tip given to a young batsman is to remain steady at the crease. Watching Steve Smith bat is a perfect antithesis to this. Everything moves before, after and even during the ball is delivered except the things that matter the most - the 3 sticks behind him.

Unlike the greats of the game, he doesn't make batting look easy, neither does he make it look elegant. His batting isn't poetry in motion, it's more like an academic book which just serves its purpose.

He even defies physics to an extent. With his head almost across the off stump at the point of contact with the ball, he surely has to miss the straighter balls. Leave aside physics, mathematically his stance should betray him taking probability into account.

But all logic fails rather than Steve Smith. It is not sheer coincidence or pure luck. It is the number of balls he faces in the nets that makes a competitive match just an extension of his practice. It is the amount of time he invests in reading the game that he can overpower any tough match situation.

He is the 'freak' in our field who works arguably harder than anyone else behind the scenes and is obsessed with his art.

It is not often that a leg spinner can transform himself into probably the best Test batsman of his generation. It requires tons of hard work and grit. It requires immense self-belief despite not being the most gifted athlete in the sport. It requires extremely high concentration powers at the crease.

The respect he deserves, the hate he doesn't

Smith was involved in the unfortunate sandpaper gate but he received a harsh penalty for it as well.

He was contrite for his actions and appropriately enough he should start getting recognized for his batting genius more than the unfortunate scam. There isn't anything worse than watching a player returning from concussion getting booed from the crowd.

It takes 'freakish' courage to return to the field as quickly as he did after getting hit on the head. It was probably the most opportune time for people to move on from the sandpaper gate scandal and appreciate Smith's genius. At least that is what a 'perfect' human being is supposed to do.

Time to recognize the genius of Steve Smith

It is time we appreciate the greatness of Steve Smith. He averages a mammoth 63.24 in Test matches. His peers in the Fab Four, Virat Kohli averages 53.76, Kane Williamson averages 52.50 and Joe Root averages 48.34 in the same format.

Smith is neck and crop above them statistically. Even leaving aside his peers, his average is significantly more than many all-time greats in the game. Even taking the argument that his average might dip in the coming years, his statistics are still extremely impressive. .

Cricket aficionados should start recognizing that we are currently witnessing an all-time great batsman and appreciate his idiosyncrasies. He is a great role model for all the 'freaks' in our society and is a big lesson for the society in general which misses the hidden gems in search of a 'perfect' diamond.

Follow Sportskeeda for all the updates on Ashes 2019 live score, news, results, Ashes Schedule, most runs, most wickets and fantasy tips.