STEVE Smith entered 2018 as an Ashes-winning captain, with the statistical support which cemented his place as the best batsman since Sir Donald Bradman following an incredible summer of prodigious runscoring.

At times he looked untouchable — England cycled through a dozen different strategies to dismiss Smith, which only ever worked when he seemed to get sick of batting.

But it left him a broken man, with the Australian skipper admitting he was “absolutely ruined” by the Ashes and the subsequent one-day series which Australia lost 4-1 to England.

That led to a break of nearly two weeks leading into Monday night’s Allan Border Medal awards night, at which Smith was crowned an AB medal-winner for the second time.

Refreshed and revived, Smith admitted he didn’t realise just how run down he’d become after the gruelling summer.

From seven Ashes innings, Smith faced a mighty 1416 balls — a full 448 balls, or nearly 75 overs, more than the next best, middle order star Shaun Marsh (968) — and amassed a series-high 687 runs.

That haul included his career-best 239 in Perth, one of three centuries he scored in the series.

Smith was on the cusp of joining Bradman as the only Australian to hit four centuries in an Ashes series, requiring one at his home ground the SCG in the fifth Test.

Instead, he glided to 83 before a lapse in concentration gifted England all-rounder Moeen Ali a rare wicket via a soft caught-and-bowled.

Smith was furious with himself having fallen just short of yet another Bradman milestone - not that he needed to be after a near-flawless summer.

Truthfully, he was just tired.

A disappointing ODI series followed, with Smith averaging a meagre 20 from five knocks — with just one score above 25 and a sluggish strike rate of 68.91.

Mercifully, Smith was given a long overdue rest.

“I needed it. I was absolutely ruined after the one-dayers,” Smith said on Tuesday morning.

“It takes a lot out of you, an Ashes series. Particularly with every Test match going five days and the extra pressures and everything that comes with an Ashes series.

Steve Smith (L) is caught behind off Mark Wood during the third ODI. Source: AAP

“I was certainly feeling it mentally. And the last ten or 12 days that I’ve had off, it’s been great.

“I haven’t picked up a bat and now I’m keen to get the bat back in my hands which probably means it’s been good and I’m ready to go for what’s going to be an exciting tour of South Africa.”

Smith indicated he wasn’t the only Ashes winner to require a bit of R&R after their 4-0 demolition of their biggest rival.

Steve Smith speaks after winning the Allan Border Medal. Source: Getty Images

His Test deputy David Warner has played right through, leading the Twenty20 side in the ongoing Tri-Series with England and New Zealand.

Warner has been given two days off before Friday’s next clash with New Zealand, in Auckland.

“You could probably see it in the one-dayers that we played, the guys that had played Test cricket throughout the summer were probably just not quite at their best mentally — just a bit fatigued,” Smith explained.

“We probably saw that in our performances — the guys that came in fresh and had been playing a bit of white-ball cricket in the Big Bash, those were the guys that were playing some good cricket.

“That’s also transferred into the T20s — I think those guys are fresh and that squad just looks fresh and they’re playing really good cricket as well.

“It’s been good that the Test guys have been able to have a little bit of a break and freshen up and really hit the ground running when we get to South Africa.”