Australian vice-captain Steve Smith has taken inspiration from West Indies batting great Shivnarine Chanderpaul, adopting the use of anti-glare eye stickers in preparation for the second Ashes Test at Brisbane's Gabba ground.
Channeling Chanderpaul's Legacy
The stand-in skipper was spotted wearing the distinctive black patches during net sessions on Sunday, mimicking the approach made famous by Chanderpaul during his illustrious career. The West Indies legend scored 11,867 Test runs at an average of 51.37, placing him ninth on cricket's all-time run-scoring leaderboard.
Channel 7 reporter Bharat Sundaresan, who observed Smith's training session, noted the similarity to Chanderpaul's methods. "Steve Smith is going the Shivnarine Chanderpaul way with eye stickers to contend with seeing the pink ball in the twilight period," Sundaresan reported.
In footage captured behind Smith's net, the veteran batsman could be heard remarking, "I would've nicked that if I didn't have these on, I reckon," after successfully defending a delivery outside off stump.
The Science Behind the Stickers
The anti-glare patches function similarly to specialized glasses, designed to minimize brightness from stadium lights or sunlight during day-night matches. Manufactured from light-absorbing material, these stickers have gained popularity among American NFL athletes and now appear set to make their mark in Australian cricket.
Smith's experimentation with his technique is nothing new - the 36-year-old has built a reputation for constantly refining his approach throughout his career. Notable adjustments occurred during the 2013 Ashes series and again mid-innings against New Zealand in 2019.
Bowling Selection Headaches
With regular captain Pat Cummins still unavailable due to a back injury, Smith will lead Australia for the second consecutive Test. Cricket Australia has taken a conservative approach to Cummins' recovery, ruling him out almost a week before the Gabba encounter.
The selection spotlight now falls on Nathan Lyon's position in the bowling attack. Despite being dropped for Australia's previous pink-ball Test in the West Indies, statistics suggest the off-spinner remains crucial to Australia's day-night strategy.
Only Mitchell Starc has bowled more deliveries in pink-ball Tests than Lyon's 427.5 overs. In Australia's last day-night match at the Gabba - the surprising loss to West Indies in early 2024 - Lyon delivered more overs than any other bowler from either team, finishing with impressive match figures of 5-123.
Coach Andrew McDonald defended Lyon's importance to the team, stating, "If you look at Australian pink ball cricket in general terms, the middle sessions have been quite benign, and Nathan's done a lot of work there."
McDonald emphasized that leaving Lyon out in Jamaica represented exceptional circumstances rather than standard policy. "It's not something that we like doing. It's not the starting point for anything," he affirmed.
The Gabba Test promises intriguing tactical battles as Australia seeks to maintain its series advantage against an English team that struggled against pace bowling in Perth. With Starc's unparalleled pink-ball record of 81 wickets at 17.08, and Lyon's proven effectiveness in day-night conditions, Australian selectors face complex decisions about their optimal bowling combination.
