Ashes 2025-26: Shivnarine Chanderpaul texts Steven Smith for wearing eye blacks the wrong way

Steven Smith will be captaining Australia in the Ashes 2025-26 for the second Test as well, as Pat Cummins continues to be unavailable. And while he is expected to be among the runs and lead by example for the upcoming game at the Gabba, Brisbane, a very uncanny thing has come to notice regarding the unorthodox batter, as he will be carrying the eye blacks while batting — something Shivnarine Chanderpaul is best known for.

Since the pictures of Smith sporting eye blacks at the practice sessions ahead of the second encounter went viral, Chanderpaul had a conversation with the Australian batter regarding the correct way to carry the strips. Notably, Smith himself had reached out to the West Indies veteran regarding the best way to use eye blacks, and the latter was very kind to pass on his wisdom. 

“I actually messaged Shivnarine Chanderpaul and asked him what his thoughts were, whether he wore the chalk or the strips. He said the strips, and he thinks it blocks out 65% of the glare. And he also said, ‘I’ve seen photos, and you’re wearing them the wrong way’. So yesterday I put them on the right way. I agree with him. I think it certainly stops the glare. Yeah, I’ll be wearing them,” Smith was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

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