Steve Smith’s ODI retirement opens door to 2027 Ashes tour
Steve Smith’s retirement from one-day internationals has opened the door for him to stretch his Test career to 2027 and capstone series victories in India and England.
Before his exit from 50-over games when Australia was eliminated from the Champions Trophy in Dubai this week, 35-year-old Smith discussed his future with the national selectors and the prospect of carrying on in Test matches for the team’s high-priority targets in coming years.
Chris Woakes gets Steve Smith on the final day of the 2023 Ashes series.Credit: Reuters
Smith wants to play more Twenty20 franchise cricket, and has even stated his interest in playing for Australia at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. ODI retirement gives him room to do so. But it is in Test cricket that Smith’s most enduring stories will be written.
The world Test championship and home Ashes summer are first up. But top of the list of overseas assignments are five-match Test battles in India and England in 2027, after Australia failed to win either series in 2023.
Had they done so, numerous senior figures may have thought differently about the future, but there is now a shared resolve to finish the job. Captain Pat Cummins and head coach Andrew McDonald have each indicated their willingness to tackle those challenges, and Test vice-captain Smith is now likely to follow suit.
Smith will turn 38 in June 2027, the sort of age numerous other players of his exalted stature have carried on until. These included Brian Lara (37), Sachin Tendulkar (40), Ricky Ponting (37) and Steve Waugh (38).
“He hasn’t ruled anything out,” Smith’s manager Warren Craig told this masthead. “He is still enjoying Test cricket and whilst he still has that enjoyment he will continue to play.”
Smith’s longevity in Test cricket has been called into question on numerous occasions over the past few years, not least because he has been hesitant to publicly commit to any long-term goals.
As far back as 2022, Smith was hinting at retirement after he was quizzed about Ponting’s Australian record of 41 Test hundreds.
“Not really. No. That’s a long way away,” Smith had said about whether he wanted to surpass Ponting. “I’m not sure. I’m 33, 34 next year. I’m not sure how long I’ll play for but we’ll see. But 41 is certainly a long way away.”
Last year, Smith spoke at length about how much more difficult Test cricket had become for batters, given a preponderance of grassy pitches in Australia and adjustments to the Kookaburra ball.
Steve Smith reaches his century against India in Brisbane last year.Credit: AP
But by fashioning a pair of fine centuries against Jasprit Bumrah and India in Brisbane and Melbourne over the summer, Smith proved to himself and the world that he could again scale the heights of his younger days. He followed up with a pair of centuries in Sri Lanka that reaffirmed his ability to bat for long periods.
“He’s coming into another sweet spot in his career. Hopefully that sort of form, he doesn’t want to give up on that too soon,” McDonald has said of Smith. “He plays every series and assesses where he’s at at the end of it.
“When you’re at that age and you’ve accomplished so much in your career, you’re entitled to be able to do that. The day that he goes, it’ll be a big hole. When that comes, we’re not sure at this stage. As a coach I’d love to have him for as long as possible.”
It was in Galle where Nathan Lyon spoke openly about what the team still wanted to achieve, having reached a point where they hold all available bilateral trophies in Test matches.
“We want to become a great Australian team. We’re on that journey. We’re not there yet,” Lyon had said. “We’re on that journey, and that’s our end goal.
“And part of that journey is making sure that when we close the window ... we don’t let anyone back in. So it’s all about being ruthless. We haven’t won in India. We haven’t won, we’ve retained the last two Ashes away. So there’s a few things that for me, this is only me and my thoughts as well, but we’ve got some great players in that change room, and there’s no point in hiding behind that.
“You got Smithy bringing up 10,000, Starcy [Mitchell Starc], who’s around the corner from 100 Test matches. So there’s great players there, but I feel like we’re on the journey to becoming a great Australian team. And I think that’s an incredible journey to be a part of.”
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