Australia batting great Steve Smith has opened up on his uncertain Test future, admitting that he does not know whether he will be part of the 2047 Ashes series in England. The 37-year-old is taking his Test career one series at a time, while his focus has increasingly shifted towards T20 cricket and a potential appearance at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Smith has never won an Ashes series in England, making next year’s tour a potentially significant opportunity. Smith is currently representing Amsterdam Flames in the European T20 Premier League (ETPL). Despite having no fixed retirement date, the veteran batter acknowledged that his Test career is being assessed on a series-by-series basis. “I don’t even know if I’ll be there yet. he made it clear that he has not decided when he will call time on his career While Smith’s comments have raised questions about his Test retirement. “I still like to think I could play T20 cricket for a while. What’s next for me when I finish? I’ve had a lot of fun. I’m still enjoying it, so I don’t have an end date, we’ll wait and see. His decision to feature in the ETPL is also linked to that ambition. “Right now probably it’s just the Olympics to try to be a part of that.
However, he stopped short of committing to Australia’s campaign in 2027. It’s been a great ride for the last 15 years or thereabouts. Cricket will return to the Olympic programme at LA 2028 in the T20 format, and Smith is keen to continue playing the shortest format for as long as possible.
I’m kind of a series-by-series proposition, as I’ve been for a while, and that’s still a fair way away for me right now,” Smith told The Telegraph. The Australia star admitted that winning an Ashes series in England would be special, but said his participation will depend on how his career progresses over the coming months. “Yeah, I’d love to win one there or to have won one there, but you wait and see if that comes to fruition,” he added. I’m not sure, but yeah, hopefully a bit more time left playing,” he said. Reflecting on his career, Smith said: “I’ve achieved a lot in the game. One of the reasons why I wanted to play with Amsterdam here was just to continue playing as much T20 cricket as I can,” Smith said.
Smith set for South Africa Test tour
Smith also praised South Africa’s current pace attack and expects a competitive series after the Proteas defeated Australia in the World Test Championship final. “They’re a good side at the moment, obviously beat us in the World Test Championship final. They have a really good pace attack as well, so should be a cracker of a series,” he added.
