He may be leg spinner with blonde hair, but that is where the similarities between Steven Smith and Shane Warne end.

Smith is unlikely to ever come close to matching the feats of Australia's greatest ever slow bowler, but he does have massive potential.

By the age of 21 he had represented his country in all forms of the game, including playing in the Test series against Pakistan on English soil.

He first rose to prominence in domestic Twenty20 cricket with New South Wales, ending up as the competition's joint-leading wicket-taker in the 2007/08 campaign.

However it is batting, which is a little unorthodox at times, particularly against the spinners, that seems the strongest string to his bow.

The right-hander boasts a first-class average of over 47 and has made four centuries in just 16 first-class appearances.

Promoted into the national team on potential, Smith helped Australia reach the final of the ICC World Twenty20 in the Caribbean earlier this year.

His one-day career didn't get off to the best of starts - he conceded 78 runs against the West Indies on debut - but he has managed nine wickets in six matches.

A Baggy Green arrived in the English summer of 2010 and he by know means looked out of his depth against Pakistan in unfamiliar conditions. Indeed, he made 77 in his second Test appearance at Headingley.

Added to the fact that he is also an excellent fielder, Smith's all-round talents could see him put pressure on both Marcus North and Nathan Hauritz during the Ashes.

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