Steve Smith on Saturday (May 25) completed what was his fourth successive fifty-plus innings in 50-over cricket for Australia, since making comeback from a 12-month ban for his involvement in last year's ball-tampering incident. 

The right-hand batsman struck a ton (116 off 102) against England in an official World Cup 2019 warm-up game, having already made unbeaten scores of 89 and 91 not out in practice matches against a New Zealand XI in Brisbane and a 76 versus West Indies at Southampton on Wednesday (May 22). 

But while these runs will have definitely given him confidence, Smith has not relaxed and is determined to continue piling them up in the main tournament which begins in four days' time on May 30. 

"I'm not reading too much into it, they are just practice games. Hopefully, I can keep this form for the real stuff. But I am feeling good, composed and calm at the crease. Any time you make a hundred for Australia it's a real honour," Smith told reporters at the post-match press conference.

A lot has been said about the dark hours of that Cape Town Test in South Africa. Surely there must have been a deep impact on him of how the media and the fanfare across the world reacted. But Smith believes that phase not only toughened him up as an individual, but also gave him a chance to freshen up and work hard over his game. 

"I hope so. Not too many players have a year out when they are, I guess, at the top of their game," he said. "I guess having performed at a reasonably high level for four or five years, to have that year away it's given me a chance to freshen up a bit and come back hungrier than ever."

"I feel in a good place and hopefully I can have a big impact for Australia in this World Cup."

Australia next plays Sri Lanka in another official warm-up game on Monday (May 27). The defending champion begins its World Cup campaign on June 1 at Bristol against Afghanistan. 

(Inputs from AFP)