Jason Smith has quickly become one of the biggest hitters in SA

The decision by Cricket South Africa’s selectors to include Dolphins and MI Cape Town middle-order batter Jason Smith in the national squad for the T20 World Cup has raised a few eyebrows.

Smith has played only two T20 Internationals and three One Day Internationals in the green and gold of South Africa.

Just one of those five matches (his international debut against West Indies in August 2024) came when South Africa were playing a full-strength side.

He’s been on the periphery of the national side for the past 18 months, but at the T20 World Cup next month, he will be on the inside looking out.

Some of the doubts of those questioning his ability were settled when Smith walked in with his SA20 side MI Cape Town requiring 39 runs off 19 deliveries in a rain-curtailed match at Newlands on Tuesday evening. He smashed 22 runs off seven deliveries. The knock took his side to the brink of victory over Joburg Super Kings.

He clubbed the first ball he faced for six over mid-wicket. Then he tore apart Englishman Richard Gleeson, first pulling a back-of-a-length delivery for six before brutally whipping a full ball for six no-look style.

He was dismissed the following delivery, attempting to smash his fourth six in seven deliveries, but was caught at long-on 10 metres short of the boundary rope.

The impute of the knock meant that MI required only 13 runs off the final eight deliveries. They did it at a canter, with three balls to spare, to register their first victory of the tournament.

But was the knock enough to quieten the doubters of his left-field selection for the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka?

Experienced coach and current Joburg Super Kings assistant coach Eric Simons doesn’t believe so.

“I don’t think he answered [questions over his selection] in one innings, in six or seven balls,” Simons said in the post-match press conference.

“He obviously played really well. He hit some crucial boundaries at crucial times, and that certainly took momentum away from us at a time when it was starting to slip to 13s and 14s [runs required per over].

“But there’s a lot more to T20 cricket than just those few hits, but he hits the ball hard, he hits the ball a long way. He’s done that a few times this tournament already, but there’s some way to go still.”

Learning from the best

Smith’s returns have been inconsistent so far in this season’s SA20.

In the opening match of the tournament, against Durban’s Super Giants, he smashed a 14-ball 41 — which included three sixes and four fours. But sandwiched between that and his Tuesday’s knock are scores of one, one and four.

On the one hand, it displays volatility in attempting to play big shots from the word go, but it also exposed Smith’s struggles against quality spin bowling, contrasted with his ability to smash pace bowling from ball one.

He was cleaned up by Keshav Maharaj and Sikandar Raza, looking like a deer in the headlights when trying to play them.

MI Cape Town’s marquee signing this season, Nicholas Pooran – who struck 33 off 15 balls against Joburg Super Kings – sees Smith as a player with a ton of potential, but still a work in progress.

“[He] obviously has a lot of talent and potential,” Pooran said.

“He hits the ball like a West Indian, for sure. There is a lot for him to learn as well. It is a T20 game and [you can be] inconsistent.

“It is inconsistent form, and that is something we as players have to accept. We are going to get criticised a lot for our performances. But for him, the most important thing is to learn as fast as possible.”

The flamboyant West Indian, who isn’t shy about describing how far he hits the ball, explained – in his uniquely elaborate manner – that in the MI Cape Town squad, only Smith and Ryan Rickelton’s big hitting can be compared with his.

When asked if anyone hits the ball as far as him, after hitting one of the biggest sixes Newlands has seen, clubbing it into the second row of the Members stand on Tuesday, his answer was simple:

“I am sure they can hit a further ball than me, but they can’t hit the amount of sixes I hit,” Pooran explained. “I am sure they can hit a good ball. Jason can hit a long ball for sure. Rickleton can hit it. But not as many sixes as I can.”

McKenzie’s advice

Smith’s reputation as a big hitter is relatively recent. He announced himself in a major way during the CSA T20 Challenge — Cricket South Africa’s domestic T20 competition — in November.

Playing for the Dolphins, he smashed 68 runs off only 19 balls against a Titans attack that consisted of Duan Jansen, Lizaad Williams, Donovan Ferreira, Roelof van der Merwe and Dayyaan Galiem.

Smith attributes his power game to advice from former Proteas batting coach Neil McKenzie.

“A couple of years ago, I worked with Neil McKenzie. He was the batting consultant with CSA.

“The only thing I can remember from that experience was a small technical change. It’s just something that I’ve been working and grinding on for the past three to four years.

“Whenever you see me at training, it’s the only thing I’m actually focused on.

“It’s just a continuous repetition of trying to explore my power game.”

Of Smith’s ability to hit a cricket ball cleanly there is little doubt, but whether he can do it at the highest level on the biggest T20 stage will be answered next month. DM