Former Australian white-ball captain Aaron Finch has hailed Steve Smith as the finest cricketer he has ever shared the field with, attributing Smith's remarkable transformation from a leg-spinner to a world-class batsman to a rare blend of natural talent, relentless effort, and unwavering self-belief.

Smith, initially seen as a potential successor to Shane Warne, evolved dramatically. Finch highlighted how Smith's early career as a number eight batsman and occasional leg-spinner shifted overnight, turning him into a formidable batsman who revolutionized his game. "He was always a handsy player with big movements, moving his feet a lot. Then he simplified that and everything clicked," Finch explained on Cricinfo’s ‘Cricketers on Cricketers’ show.

Finch also touched upon the 2018 ball-tampering incident, suggesting that being free from captaincy after the ban allowed Smith to focus solely on his batting, which ironically made him even more potent. "Not having that captaincy pressure post 2018, was probably a weight off his shoulders because he sits there and goes, now I can just worry about myself," Finch noted.

Recalling Smith's crucial performances in the 2015 ODI World Cup, which Australia eventually won, Finch described Smith's fearless batting in high-pressure knockout games. "He didn’t show even one bit of nervousness in those three games... This guy was batting with absolute calmness," Finch recounted, emphasizing Smith's unique ability to perform under immense pressure.

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