Australia vice-captain Steve Smith has been given the green light to play in the famous Boxing Day Test against England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, starting December 26. The star batter recently dealt with a strange and worrying health issue that nearly kept him out of the Ashes clash.
Steve Smith opened up about a “weird” episode of vestibular dysfunction that flared up during training in Adelaide and eventually forced him to pull out of the third Test of the Ashes 2025-26 series.
A Health Scare That Came Out of Nowhere
Steve Smith began experiencing vestibular problems during a four-day training block at the Adelaide Oval. While he has dealt with vertigo in the past, this episode felt very different and far more intense. As the days went on, the symptoms only got worse.
He struggled to pick up the ball early, felt a heavy sensation in his head, and found it hard to stay focused. Even short training sessions left him feeling unusually drained. Each time he lifted his head to face a delivery, his vision felt out of sync, making batting extremely uncomfortable.
Training Only Made Things Worse
Despite trying to push through, Smith’s condition did not improve. Batting practice, light workouts, and even a casual round of golf seemed to exacerbate the situation rather than improve it. That is when he decided to undergo further medical checks.
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Doctors asked him to wear vestibular goggles during assessments, which helped them better understand what was causing the issue. Based on the findings, Steve Smith was given a strict recovery program to follow.
Inside Smith’s Recovery Plan
The plan included eye-tracking drills, laser-guided exercises, balance work, and neck-strengthening routines. Although Smith has dealt with head knocks and balance-related concerns before, this episode caught him off guard and left him genuinely concerned.
“I Was a Bit Worried”: Smith Opens Up
Now fully cleared to return at the MCG, Smith has put to rest any talk of concussion and confirmed that the issue was purely vestibular. Speaking to The Age, he said, “I’ve had a few different things with my head in the past-head knocks, some vestibular stuff, some vertigo stuff. It was more the vestibular stuff this time.”
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He added, “I’m still talking to people about it. I’ve got some training exercises I need to do, tracking things, wearing goggles with a laser on them, drawing different shapes, and things like that. So, it’ll be a bit of that, strengthening my neck. Fingers crossed it’s gone and never comes back. That would be nice.”
Eye Black Now a Permanent Part of His Kit
Steve Smith also revealed that the eye black he used during the day-night Test in Brisbane made a big difference and will now be a regular feature in his gear. He said, “The black things I was wearing under my eyes, I’m 100 percent certain they worked, and I think I’ll be bringing them out in normal night games against the white ball as well.”
Steve Smith Backs McCullum’s “Overpreparing” Comment
The Australian vice-captain also weighed in on England coach Brendon McCullum’s “overpreparing” comment following England’s losses in the first two Tests. Smith agreed with the idea and explained that he has reduced his own training load to stay fresh.
He wrapped up by saying, “I think sometimes, particularly when you lose, you almost try too much and too hard, and you lose sight of the fact that you want to be mentally fresh when you go in the middle. Sometimes you just try too hard to get yourself into that frame of mind, and you’re actually cooked when you go out to the middle to try to perform under pressure. I’ve learned that over time.”
With his health scare now behind him, Steve Smith will be eager to make his presence felt when Australia takes the field at the MCG for one of cricket’s most iconic Tests.
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