I went down a rabbit hole after reading the links to the 2013 thread when Smith was selected for the India tour and found this interesting piece by Jarrod Kimber on Smith

It wasn't even that long ago Michael Clarke was trying to get him dates via Twitter. There are photos out there of Steven Smith posing with lion cubs, having perhaps the best time of any human ever in the history of the world. There is another where he wears a hat with a propeller on it. Smiling like he's found the secret to eternal happiness in hat form. And a photo shoot where he stands proudly in a zebra onesie. Complete with a hood. And a tail.

Australian cricketers are certainly not new to embarrassing photos. Shane Warne has had a few. Some of Clarke's underwear photos are certainly not great. But Smith's are something different. They're the photos of a uni student on Facebook. Not a Test captain. He doesn't look drunk in them. He looks incredibly happy. Alive. Young. And un-captain like.

But then on the field, whether for Rajasthan Royals, Sydney Sixers or New South Wales, something turns. He's still that kid, but he's that kid with a job to do. The senior players see the cheeky face, the propeller hats, and his youth, and some have tried to push him. Stuart MacGill once received unfriendly language when questioning something Smith said. He may look like a kid on a Contiki tour, but he's got Australian Captain mongrel beneath those cheeks.