30 March 2023 , 14:17
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Sussex head coach Paul Farbrace has defended the club's decision to sign Australia star Steve Smith for three County Championship matches ahead of the Ashes.
Farbrace insists Smith's brief stint with Sussex is actually him "doing county cricket and English cricket a huge favour", instead of simply an opportunity for him to get used to conditions and find some form ahead of the Ashes.
And the former England assistant joked that he has promised Smith he will "let him bat again" if he gets out, telling talkSPORT: "I'm amazed actually, I'm amazed at how supportive the England fans have been.
"How they've seen the positives of Steve coming to play for three weeks, get his eye in and have a net. I promised him if he gets out, we won't appeal, the others won't appeal and we'll let him bat again so he can have two or three innings."
On a more serious note, Farbrace spoke of the impact he hopes Smith will have on what is a very young Sussex squad, with 24-year-old opener Tom Haines highlighted as a player who will benefit hugely from working with Australia's vice-captain.
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"There's nobody more passionate about England winning Test matches and winning the Ashes [than me] and I've been excited by what I've seen from Baz and Stokesy and Rob Key over the winter," Farbrace added.
Sussex head coach Paul Farbrace has insisted Smith is "doing county cricket and English cricket a huge favour" by joining them (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)"I want England to win the Ashes, there's no doubt about that, but the opportunity to get a player like Steve Smith into your dressing room for a month when we've got a lot of very talented young players who don't know how to win is a great one for us as a club.
"If a knock on from that is someone like Tom Haines has a fantastic time working with Steve Smith and that accelerates his learning to get into the England Test team then Steve Smith is actually doing county cricket and English cricket a huge favour."
Smith is set to play against Worcestershire, Leicestershire and Glamorgan in May, before linking up with Australia for the World Test Championship final and the Ashes.