'When I am playing my best, I play freely' - Steve Smith eager for bigger role in Australia's T20I side

The former Australia captain Steve Smith isn’t considered as one of the pioneers of the T20 format. He has played some crucial knocks in the past but he is often considered as one of the players who can play the role of an anchor in the team. On top of that, his form in the last T20 World Cup did raise some eyebrows as Smith at times found it difficult to make it to the XI. Despite that, the 33-year-old is eager and wants to play a bigger role in the upcoming T20 World Cup.

The new look Australian team is giving Smith a lot of freedom in the middle and that’s helping him gain momentum. A knock of 37* from 27 from him against Sri Lanka helped the Kangaroos win the T20 series away from home. Following that, the world champion has opened up about having more liberty while going out to bat.

Speaking to the reporters ahead of second ODI against Zimbabwe on Tuesday, the Aussie said, “I think the role that I've been given in the last couple of years is the Mr. Fix-it sort of role, and that tag's been taken away from me now (since) the Sri Lanka tour.”

He added, “I felt like I could go out and just play with a lot more freedom naturally (in Sri Lanka) and not have any kind of hesitation in the back of my mind, like I need to be a bit more reserved or anything. I can just take the game on and if I want to smack someone for a six in the first ball, then I'm able to do that freely. When I'm playing my best, I play freely.”

Marsh’s injury can lead to Smith’s ideal position in the T20 World Cup

Steve Smith previously revealed his intention of bagging the number three spot in the T20 World Cup, however, with Mitch Marsh being there, that position isn’t guaranteed. The Aussie all rounder, however, is out of action for some time now after complaining of ankle soreness following Australia's five-wicket win over Zimbabwe on Sunday.

Now, Smith needs to score a good amount of runs against Zimbabwe and New Zealand in the ongoing ODI Super League and then fight for his position against Marsh when the team will tour India for a three-match T20I series. The 33-year-old, however, cancelled the call of a competition and said that the Aussies have big plans for the all rounder.

“It's obviously not ideal for Mitch. He's been playing some really good white ball cricket recently. He was obviously a big part of our T20 World Cup campaign last year and I'm sure there's big plans for him this year, so I think the priority is to get him right for that,” said the former captain.

In case he fails to grab the number three spot, Smith will have to bat at number five with Maxwell taking the number four spot. That’s not his ideal number but certainly will get more freedom as he wants from the team management. However, Marsh being an injury-prone player, one never knows what’s next!