Graeme Smith, a former South African captain, is quite impressed by Shubman Gill. The Indian teenager recently stole the show with hundreds in T20 matches against Sri Lanka and New Zealand.
“Gill has got the talent and the ability. But for a player to develop, it’s often about figuring out your strengths and weaknesses,” On Tuesday; he revealed this. Smith, who has scored 9265 runs in Tests, thinks the Punjab kid may take some time to adjust to the level of play required in the format.
Smith, one of the most excellent openers in cricket history, discussed the various abilities required for Test matches, saying,
“As an opening batter in Test cricket, you probably need a slightly better defensive game and work on how you leave deliveries and be aware of the channels you want to play your shots.”
Test cricket is the sport’s greatest challenge in the eyes of the former left-hander. “ODI and T20 cricket is much more about strokeplay, but in the five-day game, bowlers tend to attack you much more with a definite gameplan. Gill is too good a player not to be successful. He will mature as he plays more Test matches, gains experience, and learns about the longer version of the game.”
But he is still determining if Gill should be considered India’s next Test opener. “That’s the problem in India. You have so much talent. How can you ignore KL Rahul? It’s not an easy call,” Smith stated.
In his new role as SA20 commissioner, Smith is taking action while overseeing the inaugural iteration of the tournament.
However, he is still determining whether or not SA20 can secure a window free of international matches, as is the situation with IPL. While this (SA20) was being constructed, a problematic discussion was made regarding luring international players, bearing in mind the history of SA’s failed attempt to arrange this earlier and the fact that there were auctions for both the Big Bash League and the ILT20 virtually simultaneously. He thanks the numerous players, including (Jos) Buttler, (Jason) Roy, Rashid Khan, and others, who decided to support South African cricket.
However, he is still unsure whether or not SA20 can secure a window free of international matches, as is the situation with IPL. “I can’t see that happening for every league. But with more franchise cricket leagues coming up, I feel there’s a need to sit down and work out what is the right way forward.”
