'Below my standards': Smith keen for runs after taxing year

While Steve Smith admits he needed a breather after his latest World Cup triumph that capped a taxing 12 months, the star batter insists he has no plans to join long-time teammate David Warner in hanging up his boots any time soon.

Smith begins his 12th home Test summer this week in Perth against Pakistan eager to recapture his best form, which he concedes has eluded him during a nine-and-a-half month stretch that has featured four marquee events. 

The 34-year-old's single-minded approach to batting has long been part of his aura and he was one of the last to leave the nets at Australia's main training session at Perth Stadium on a sweltering Tuesday morning.

But his recent taking up of golf highlights an acknowledgement of a need to more occasionally switch off from cricket.

His assessment of his proficiency at his new pastime – "ordinary – but I'm just starting, give me time" – was typically self-critical.

"It's been a busy, busy year. I certainly needed a little break after the World Cup," Smith told reporters at Perth Stadium on Tuesday.

"It was good to have a week at home, and relax and refresh the mind and body as much as possible to get ready for this series.

"But now I feel like I'm in a good place. I think the boys feel like they're in a good place and are keen to get out and play some red-ball cricket again.

"It can be challenging with quite a busy schedule, but any sort of moment you can get to have a few days or a week just to get away from the game and get your mental side back to a position where you can go out and perform internationally, it's important.

"I've sort of got into the golf a bit and played a bit of golf back home. The boys are continually laughing about it at the moment, that I'm getting into golf."

Smith's draining year, which has also seen him feature in six KFC BBL games, two separate bilateral ODI series in India and three County Championship matches for Sussex, has had some notable highlights.

His centuries against India in the World Test Championship final and England in the bitter Lord's Test were integral to memorable Australian victories in 2023.

But his series averages of 29.00 (from four Tests in India in February-March), 37.30 (from five Ashes Tests) and 33.55 (from 10 World Cup games) fell short of his own expectations.

His blunt outlook on how he can get back to having the touch that made him the game's No.1 batter not so long ago – "just score runs" – clearly belies how deep his desire is to rescale those heights.

"I don't have to reinvent the wheel," he said. "I've performed at a high standard for a long period of time.

"You're right – I was probably below my standards of what I want. For me, it's about not overthinking it, not overplaying too much, not changing too much.

"Just going out and trusting what I do and doing it for longer periods of time, hopefully to get the big runs and hopefully help our team have success."

Smith accepted that the visiting pace bridage, led by Shaheen Shah Afridi and Hasan Ali, will pose a far greater threat on Australian pitches than they did on the highways the two sides played on in Pakistan last year.

But he knows no bowler really has his measure when he is at the peak of his powers.

Although he remains a constant tinkerer with his technique - "I reckon I've made technical changes every week for the last 10 years" – Smith has set finding the right tempo for the longest format as his major focus leading into the first of three Tests against Pakistan.

And those matches, he insists, are as far ahead as he is looking.

"I just take it day by day and enjoy my time playing," Smith said when asked if he had considered his retirement plans in the wake of David Warner's desire to finish after next month's Sydney Test.

"While I'm enjoying it, I'll keep playing. I'm not in any hurry to make any decisions. I'm pretty relaxed and looking forward to the summer."

NRMA Insurance Test series v Pakistan

Prime Minister's XI v Pakistan XI: December 6-9, Manuka Oval (10.30am AEDT)

First Test: December 14-18, Perth Stadium (1.20pm AEDT)

Second Test: December 26-30, MCG (10.30am AEDT)

Third Test: January 3-7, SCG (10.30am AEDT)

Australia squad: (first Test only) Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Lance Morris, Steve Smith, Mitch Starc, David Warner

Pakistan squad: Shan Masood (c), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah Afridi