CAPE TOWN – Steve Smith’s mental strength puts him above India captain Virat Kohli, said former Australian fast bowler Brett Lee.
The two batsmen have been among the most consistent performers over the last decade with Kohli averageing 53.62 in Test cricket, significantly lower than Smith’s 62.84.
In an interview with Cricbuzz, Lee said: “Who do I think is the best? Look, it’s so hard to pick because there’s a lot of qualities in both players that I enjoy.
“I try to look at it from a bowler’s perspective and see if there are any flaws that I would try to exploit. There’s obviously very little.
“They are two different players. Virat Kohli is technically sound, hits down the ground. He used to nick off a number of years ago but he’s tightened up and that’s not the case anymore.
“He’s a great leader as well. Kohli is definitely right up there. Steve Smith has been through a lot over the last couple of years and his rise back to stardom again has been amazing. He’s a completely different batsman [to Kohli].
“Who would I pick at the moment? Because of what he’s been through I would go for Steve Smith,” said the Australian.
“They are so hard to split and are two great players. Smith took his punishment on the chin, did his time and has come back brilliantly and for me that shows his mental strength.
“People were talking about him being as good as Sir Don Bradman and he still could be despite having some time out of the game.”