'Best player I’ve ever played with': Aaron Finch reveals what sets Steve Smith apart from David Warner and other batters

Former Australia white-ball captain Aaron Finch believes Steve Smith stands in a league of his own, describing the star batter as the best player he has shared a dressing room with. From being a leg-spinner batting at No. 8 to becoming one of the most accomplished batters of his generation, Smith’s remarkable rise has been driven by a rare combination of natural talent, relentless hard work and an unwavering belief in his own methods, according to Finch.Smith, who was once viewed as a potential successor to legendary leg-spinner Shane Warne, has gone on to establish himself as one of Australia's greatest modern-day batters. He has occupied the No. 1 spot in the ICC Test batting rankings and captained Australia across formats, transforming his game through years of refinement and an unconventional approach that has often set him apart from his contemporaries.Speaking on Cricinfo's show, Finch reflected on Smith's evolution, his distinctive batting technique and the mental strength that has helped him thrive at the highest level.‘He turned into this absolute gun of a batter’Finch recalled how Smith initially entered Australian cricket as a bowling all-rounder, with his batting playing a secondary role. However, a significant change in his approach eventually unlocked his potential and turned him into one of the most formidable run-scorers in world cricket.“Steve Smith went from being touted as Shane Warne’s replacement, starting at eight in the batting order, bowling a few overs of leg spin, getting the odd runs as the finisher. Then something changed overnight. He turned into this absolute gun of a batter that took the world by storm,” Finch said.“He was always a handsy player with big movements, moving his feet a lot. Then he simplified that and everything clicked,” Finch added.Smith's ability to establish himself in the middle order and subsequently make the No. 4 position his own further demonstrated his adaptability. For Finch, however, the defining feature of Smith's batting has been his willingness to trust his instincts, regardless of how unconventional his methods might appear.“The ability to go from number six and five for so long and then slip into number four in the batting order was extraordinary. He’s the best player I’ve ever played with by a mile. He says, I’m doing it this way; I don’t care what it looks like to the outside world. This is what will make me most successful,” Finch said.“That is a superpower. To see what he does when others can’t, you can’t explain why players like me or David Warner couldn’t do it, but he could. It’s a natural gift, but also hard work, the hours he’s put in. It’s extraordinary.”How stepping away from captaincy helped SmithSmith's career also endured a major setback following Australia's ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town in 2018. The incident resulted in a 12-month ban from international and domestic cricket under Cricket Australia's sanctions, alongside a two-year prohibition on holding a leadership position.He eventually returned to the international setup and later became vice-captain to current Test skipper Pat Cummins. Finch believes the absence of captaincy responsibilities after the scandal may have helped Smith rediscover his focus as a batter.According to Finch, the demands of leadership had often required Smith to divide his attention between his own preparation and the needs of the wider team. Being relieved of those responsibilities allowed him to concentrate more fully on his individual game.“After the 2018 incident, coming back into the international setup, Steve Smith was more relaxed as a player because he didn’t have the captaincy for obvious reasons. As captain, so much of your time goes into things away from your own game,” Finch said.He explained that Smith's meticulous preparation could also become mentally demanding when combined with the responsibility of managing a team.“And then getting the amount of work he wanted done put extra pressure on him mentally, because you need to get this much work done to feel ready to go, but you’ve still got to worry about everybody else,” he added.Finch also admitted that captaining Australia with Smith in the team initially proved challenging for him. Having previously played under Smith, he held the batter's tactical judgement in high regard and sometimes found himself questioning his own decisions.“I found it really difficult to captain with him in the side at the start, because I’d played under him for quite a bit of time and tactically, I thought he was an outstanding captain. So, I found myself at times being like, is this the right move? What would Smith think?”However, Smith eventually encouraged Finch to trust his own judgement rather than seek constant reassurance.“And then one day he just said, why do you keep asking me? Just make your own decision,” Finch recalled.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.