Australian batter Steve Smith admitted that he felt anxious after being hit on the head during the first Test against South Africa a week ago.
The former Australian captain, who has previously suffered multiple concussions, said that he was worried about the prospect of another one after Anrich Noratje hit him on the helmet on Day 4 of the game in Durban.
Speaking during a television interview ahead of the second Test in Gqeberha on Sunday, Smith said, “I was a little bit anxious after the hit, to be honest. It was a decent knock, and the rest of that day, I wasn’t travelling too well, and I think it was more to do with anxiety, of hoping not to feel what I felt in the past, waking up the next morning and things like that.”
“So, yeah, fortunately, I woke up well. I passed all the tests, and things recovered pretty quickly,” he added.
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The 37-year-old continued to bat but did not take to the field at the start of South Africa’s second innings, instead being subjected to the concussion protocols, which he passed.
He then returned on the final day as Australia marched on to a 214-run victory and a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Smith was the first player replaced in a Test following the introduction of a concussion substitute after he was struck on the back of the head by a Jofra Archer bouncer in the 2019 Ashes Test at Lord’s in London.
Published on Oct 18, 2026
