‘He will be feeling terrible’: Inside the health problem that ruled Steve Smith out

Adelaide: A bit over an hour after Pat Cummins confidently named a Test 11 with Steve Smith at No.4 on match eve, the possibility was already dawning on Usman Khawaja that he may, in fact, end up playing.

Less than a day later, Khawaja’s name appeared on the Australian team sheet for the critical third Ashes Test at Adelaide Oval, with a downcast Smith having left the ground wearing his backpack. It had been a dramatic turn of events.

“Over the past few days he has been feeling unwell, with symptoms including nausea and dizziness,” a CA spokesperson said of Smith on Wednesday.

“He was assessed and monitored closely and was close to being available to play. However, given the persistence of symptoms, a decision was made not to proceed.

“He is being treated for a potential vestibular issue. This is something Steve has experienced intermittently in the past and is being managed accordingly. He is expected to be available for the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.”

This masthead asked Cricket Australia on Tuesday morning whether Khawaja was on standby for Smith, for even as Cummins’ deputy batted on match eve, it was patently clear that he did not feel his usual self.

Senior members of team staff were aware that Smith has a history of issues with vertigo, which began in the aftermath of the concussion he suffered when hit on the back of the head by Jofra Archer at Lord’s during the 2019 Ashes series.

Since then, Smith has suffered sporadic recurrences. Sometimes, as at the 2023 World Cup against Afghanistan, they have been serious enough to rule him out.

But there have also been other occasions when Smith has battled through the issue and carried on playing, as he did when scoring a century against India at the SCG in 2020.

“I didn’t know I was playing today,” Smith said at the time. “I thought I was going to struggle. It didn’t look great there for a while.

“I had a really bad dose of vertigo this morning and I was struggling until … I came down early to have a hit and a bit of a run around.

“The doctor, I think he performed six Epley manoeuvres on me this morning and got the crystals out of my ears and I was struggling for a bit.”

Much had changed since Sunday afternoon in Adelaide, when Smith completed his second net session in as many days and then joined teammates for a round of golf at Adelaide’s exclusive Kooyonga layout. Smith was in good spirits all day.

Contrary to some broadcast reports on Wednesday, at no stage did Smith get hit in the head in the nets or suffer anything reminiscent of a concussion.

But on Monday afternoon, when Smith joined teammates in travelling to Adelaide Oval for the team’s main training session, he felt so unwell that he spent the whole session indoors, neither fielding nor batting.

At the time, CA indicated that Smith would still be fine to play. In parallel, Khawaja carried the subdued air of someone who knew it was likely he would miss out.

But a lot can change within a Test match week, as Khawaja acknowledged when the team arrived in Adelaide.

“There’s so much that happens in one game, so don’t think too far ahead,” he said. “People can start thinking ahead and I’m sure people outside are always thinking too far ahead, and I’ve done that in the past and it’s never worked.”

In addition to his vertigo problems, Smith had also taken on a considerable emotional and mental load as captain for the first two Tests of the series while Cummins recovered from back trouble.

The adrenaline that pumped so vibrantly in the closing moments of the Gabba Test, when Smith took on Archer, always had the possibility of being followed by a significant comedown.

Former Australian coach Justin Langer, who has suffered with vertigo-related symptoms at times in the past, spoke with empathy for Smith.

“It’s a huge loss for so many reasons,” Langer said on Seven. “There’s been such a build-up of Steve Smith versus Jofra Archer, but it sounds like this vertigo has got the better of him and it’s a horrible thing.

“Those who have experienced it, it’s horrible. He will be feeling terrible, and for him to walk out of the ground, it tells us he is really unwell.”

While it is too early to say that Smith’s absence will be a moment to rank with Glenn McGrath rolling his ankle on a cricket ball at Edgbaston in 2005, the loss of their batting genius is another major twist in Australia’s Ashes tale.

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