Smith won the ICC Champions League Trophy in October with NSW Blues

Australian all-rounder Steve Smith says that Twenty20 cricket is more than just a bit of "slap and giggle" after flying in for his short stay at Worcester.

The exciting Aussie, who turns 21 on Wednesday, will make his Worcestershire debut in their Twenty20 campaign opener at home to Yorkshire on Friday evening.

And he admits: "There's so much cash involved now you just can't afford to go out and swing it as hard as you can.

"You need a plan in place. There's more strategy than some people think."

Smith's arrival in England from warm climes on Saturday ironically coincided with the first badly weather-ravaged day of this year's so far promising summer.

But he has experience of English cricket from three summers ago when he played a handful of second XI games with Kent and Surrey.

And, having broken into Australia's limited-overs team this winter, he admits that the five games he is due to play for Worcestershire alongside New South Wales team-mate Phil Jaques to kick off this summer's Twenty20 should prove invaluable.

"It's been a big learning curve for me and all pretty exciting, I guess," Smith told BBC Hereford & Worcester.

"From the state set-up into one day internationals and then a few Twenty20 games in the World Cup, it's been a pretty quick rise.

"But I'm just looking forward to getting out and having a crack and hoping that the weather picks up in time for the Twenty20 here.

"It's a chance to get used to the conditions before the one-dayers for Australia."

The young New South Wales player, who will make his Worcestershire debut against Yorkshire two days after his 21st birthday, made his Australia debut in the Twenty20 international victory over Pakistan in February.

And he won the Twenty20 Champions League in October playing for New South Wales alongside former Worcestershire fast bowler Doug Bollinger.

"Dougie was not as successful as he'd have liked over here," said Smith. "But he's doing really well now and he obviously had a great time when he was here.

"And Phil Jaques is a good mate of mine back home. I've known him a couple of years and he had a bit of influence on me coming.

"He had a pretty tough start to the season but he's started to string some runs together."

But, as a fellow member of cricket's somewhat exclusive leg-spinners' club, Smith admits that one of the main influences on his fledgling career has been one of Australian cricket's all-time greats, Shane Warne.

"I've had few net sessions with Warney and learned a lot from him," added Smith.

"He helped me a lot when I went down to the Boxing Day Test on stand-by for Nathan Hauritz. And he's obviously had a big influence on me in a short amount of time."

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