Career
Steve Smith made his first grade debut for Bankstown when he was 17. His mother's cousin was test batsman Norm O'Neill, but he claimed a greater influence on his game was his father, who was a grade cricketer. He says a crucial stage in his development as a batsman came when he was 20 and moved to opener. Scores of 162 and 215 at the beginning of the 1981-82 season saw him make his first class debut for New South Wales that summer, and he ended up getting 245 runs at an average of 40.
Smith's good form continued the following season, making a top score of 263 in the Sheffield Shield. He was selected in Australia's one day side and scored 117 off 130 balls in only his third game, against New Zealand. These efforts led to him being picked n the Australian squad to tour Sri Lanka in 1983.
Smith scored consistently throughout the 1983-84 domestic season, making 480 first class runs at an average of 43.63. He established himself as an excellent one day international batsman, scoring 106 against Pakistan and making two half centuries against the West Indies. He was picked to tour the West Indies in early 1984. There was some doubt he would be able to go after dislocating his shoulder during the one day finals but he recovered in time.
Read more about this topic: Steve Smith (cricketer Born 1961)
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