New Zealand’s fast-bowling all-rounder Nathan Smith has been recruited by the Desert Vipers for the ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League following the withdrawal of compatriot Kyle Jamieson from the tournament.
Smith, along with Black Caps team-mate Daryl Mitchell, is playing the role of an advance party for the Vipers as the duo are in Georgetown for a One-Day International (ODI) series against the West Indies.
And their presence at Providence Stadium will allow them to feed vital first-hand experiences back to the rest of the Vipers squad when it assembles for the tournament in less than a week.
Speaking to the Vipers Voices podcast on the eve of the ODI series, Smith talked about his initial observations of the conditions.
“We had a couple of training sessions, one under lights and one in the daytime. There is quite a bit of rain around as well, which actually impacts it quite a bit, I think,” he said.
“The wickets are a little bit soft and obviously quite slow. From a seam bowling point of view, I think it will look like we have to bowl nice and straight and use the wicket. The wicket will be our friend, but I think spin will play quite a big part as well.”
The fast bowler said he was eager to share his insights with the Vipers ahead of the GSL, particularly given the tournament’s short format and the need for teams to adapt quickly to local conditions.
“Hopefully any sort of information I pick up here over the next three games will come in handy and I will be able to relay some feedback to the (Desert Vipers) boys around how quickly we can adapt and how we can best use the facilities.
“I think it is such a short tournament, so whichever teams adapt and adjust to the conditions and make the most of those conditions will, along with a little bit of individual brilliance, have the best results.
“Hopefully we can get off to a flyer and win those first couple of games and get ahead of the pack.”
Smith was named New Zealand’s Player of the Series in his side’s impressive 2-1 Test series win over England earlier this summer. He finished as the series’ leading wicket-taker with 16 wickets and credited part of his success to having wicketkeeper Tom Blundell stand up to the stumps to limit the batters’ movements.
Smith said that although the GSL would be played in a different format against different opposition, the same tactic could still prove effective in Guyana.
“It was definitely a play that worked really well,” he said. “Obviously, the thought behind it was to keep Joe Root and Harry Brook in their crease because they do like to be quite busy and proactive, and it worked really well for us.
“And it was lucky those two pitches that we employed it on were slower in terms of bounce that was not too steep, so Tom Blundell (the New Zealand wicketkeeper) could handle it pretty well.
“I think in Guyana the pitches will not bounce as much either and they will be a bit on the slower side, so it is definitely something we could think about if players are using their feet. It worked really well for us in the Test, so it is definitely something we could think about if guys are looking to use their feet and move around quite a bit.”
Having the wicketkeeper up at the stumps is not something fast bowlers traditionally like to see as it brings with it the suggestion they are not bowling quickly enough.
But Smith said that once he got over that thought, it was a tactic that he grew to appreciate.
“I definitely think there was a little bit of managing the ego initially because you do want to see the ball fly through, but at that time it is about doing what is best for the team,” he said.
“It definitely takes a little bit of time to get used to visually, and with the keeper being up in terms of (a bowler like myself) trying to find the right lengths.
“But once you get a bit of rhythm with the keeper up, it is quite nice because you do feel like you can really dominate the batter with the keeper (and his presence) making them stay in their crease.”
While he has played eight Tests and 18 ODIs for his country, Nathan only made his Twenty20 International debut earlier this year against Bangladesh.
Smith said the hot and humid conditions in Chattogram and Mirpur were unlike anything he had experienced before, forcing him to adapt quickly — a challenge the Vipers will also face in Guyana.
“I had been to Bangladesh before, for an ICC Under-19 World Cup and I think that was (January and) February (2016), so it was a little bit cooler then, but the heat (in April and May of this year) was next level and I had never experienced anything like it.
“You walk outside (and) you start sweating. On the plane over as well, I actually had a little bit of sickness, so I went into the first game a little bit underdone in terms of how I was feeling and that was tough. But they (Bangladesh Cricket) tried to make the pitches a little bit more seam-friendly to support their bowlers because Bangladesh has a strong seam bowling unit at the moment.
“I just had to adjust to the conditions and the T20I experience was cool.
“I have played a bit of Twenty20 cricket now and feel like I have got an understanding of my game. But it was cool to, at the end of that, say, ‘I have played all three formats internationally’ and hopefully there are a few more Twenty20s out there for me.”
Smith added that compatriot and fellow Vipers GSL squad member Bevon Jacobs, who also toured Bangladesh earlier this year and played a match-winning innings in the Mirpur T20I when he made an unbeaten 62 in 31 balls, would be a major asset for the Vipers in Guyana.
“He is a seriously powerful player,” said Smith. “Coming up against him when he plays for Auckland, he can take the game away from you.
“I know in New Zealand, with small boundaries and good pitches, he is someone you are really worried about in terms of coming in at four or five. He is a big, strong, strapping lad who can hit the ball hard and he is a great lad as well. He is good to have around and is an athlete in the field.”
The Desert Vipers stint will mark Smith’s first experience of franchise cricket, and he said he was looking forward to the GSL, the challenges ahead and the strong support for the sport in the Caribbean.
“I have seen a bit of the CPL (Caribbean Premier League) and they call it the Biggest Party in Sport, so hopefully we get a good crowd in and there is lots of music and lots of energy.
“We will get a bit of an idea through these ODIs as well, I think, but hopefully there is a lot of noise, a lot of atmosphere and it is a lot of fun.”
