Steve Smith expresses gratitude after being adjudged ICC Test Cricketer of the Decade

Australia's frontline batsman Steve Smith has said that he feels 'humbled' to be named the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men's Test Cricketer of the Decade. Smith had recently won the prestigious award courtesy of his incredible performances over the last ten years.

'Humbled': Steve Smith

Taking to the micro-blogging site, the third-ranked batsman in red-ball cricket wrote that he is 'humbled' to be named Test player of the decade and thanked everyone who has supported him throughout his career so far. Furthermore, the former Australian skipper added that he has had a lot of fun, faced many challenges, learned so much, and now cannot wait to see what the next decade has in store for him. 

READ: ICC Awards 2020: Australia Star Steve Smith Wins Men’s Test Cricketer Of The Decade

How Smith leapfrogged his way to being the best Test cricketer of the decade?

Steven Smith faced stiff competition from fellow nominees, who have also shone in the past decade. In the list of nominees for the award were ex-English pacer James Anderson, India skipper Virat Kohli, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson, former Sri Lanka cricketer Rangana Herath, English batsman Joe Root and Pakistan’s ace spinner Yasir Shah.

According to reports, the Aussie has smashed 7040 runs in 69 tests with an average of 65.79. From January 1, 2011, to October 7, 2020, Smith has smashed 26 centuries. This is also the time period the ICC considered while judging for the Test Player of the Decade award.

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2013: A remarkable turning point of Smith's Test career

The New South Wales cricketer had made his debut in July 2010 batting at No. 8 and was a full-time leg-spinner. However, he was not able to impress many as he was sidelined for months after slipping to No. 9. Despite this, when he got a chance to prove himself during a tour to India in 2013, he shone, scoring 92 runs in his first Test innings in over two years.

Five months later, during the fifth match of the 2013 Ashes series, Steve Smith scored his maiden Test hundred (138 not out). Apart from that, his most dominating play came in 2014, when he hit 162 not out against India. Not just that, he also scored 133, 192, and 117 in consecutive matches.

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