“It’s the worst leave I’ve seen, incredibly dramatic” Steve Smith’s Defensive Approach Surprises Kevin Pietersen.
The Ashes 2023:Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen expressed surprise at Steve Smith’s defensive approach during Day 2 of the ongoing 2023 Ashes opener on Saturday, June 17. Pietersen,described one of Smith’s leaves as the ‘worst’ he has ever seen.During the match, Smith employed a strategy of leaving numerous deliveries by stepping across the wickets. The intention behind this tactic was to frustrate the bowlers and induce them to make mistakes by misjudging their lines and lengths.
Pietersen observed that Smith appeared unable to accurately track the ball, which he found amusing. He further noted that throughout his innings, Smith sought to unsettle the bowlers, but ultimately fell victim to his own strategy.
Pietersen said “It’s the worst leave I’ve seen, incredibly dramatic. It’s gonna be on one of those spot-the-ball competitions in years to come in magazines and newspapers because of the delivery.”
He further talked over Smith’s approach saying “Yes, it wasn’t good, but he did have two leg slips. So, he was bowling to his field, but the leave was quite something. We’ve seen a still image of the leave but I think his technique is just there to mess with the bowler. Mental disintegration, the Aussies call it.”