Smith calls for teammates to raise energy levels

Steven Smith, the Australian captain, said that he expects his team to play with a high level of intensity for the upcoming series against South Africa and Pakistan. He also noted that Australia put up uninspired performances during the Test series against Sri Lanka where they slipped to a 3-0 series defeat.

Incidentally, once David Warner took over the mantle of captaining the Australian side for the third One-Day International (ODI) in Sri Lanka, they played with greater freedom to clinch the series 4-1. The visitors also won the Twenty20 International (T20I) series 2-0. Smith hoped that Australia would continue to play with an aggressive mindset during the home summer.

"I thought his (Warner) energy was magnificent throughout those games and looking forward that's the sort of energy we want from him and all of the other senior players," Smith observed on Monday (September 19). "We've got a pretty quiet group and we need that sort of energy come South Africa and the summer as well. I thought in the Test series in Sri Lanka we lacked a fair bit of energy in the field and that probably cost us at times. We put down a few crucial chances and in the grand scheme of things that could have made a difference."

After Australia hurtled to a 3-2 series defeat in the 2015 Ashes, the trio of Michael Clarke, Mitchell Johnson and Brad Haddin called time on their careers. Smith reckoned that with quite a few changes to the Australian set-up, the energy levels in the field have dropped.

"It's difficult," he stated. "We've got some pretty quiet characters, so even if it's not making noise verbally it might be just about having a bit more presence and the old Australian way of puffing your chest out and making your presence felt for the quieter guys. It's trying to do that, get into the game that way and try to provide some sort of energy that way."

After the second ODI against Sri Lanka, Smith was rested for the remainder of the tour. The 27-year-old right-handed batsman agreed that the timing of the announcement could have been better. However, he pointed out that it helped him to recuperate ahead of a busy summer.

"For me it was just about getting the messaging across and I think we could have got the messaging across a fair bit better," Smith said. "We knew a fair way out that I was going to leave after the second one-day game. The fact we only brought it out the day before probably shocked a few people, so in future if this sort of thing pops up and someone's having a rest ... it's about getting it out a little bit earlier.

"I watched every ball that was bowled in the one-day series and I did miss it, but having said that it probably will do me the world of good looking at what's coming up. Particularly the fast bowlers, it's very difficult for them to sustain it for long periods of time and go full tilt, which we want those guys doing. Having said that, for this series it gives a couple of guys an opportunity, we get a look at the likes of Tremain, Worrall and Mennie."