Last Updated on 1 hour ago by Charbel Coorey
Steve Smith is not sure whether he will make it to the 2027 Ashes. The 37-year-old, who is playing for Amsterdam Flames in the European T20 Premier League (ETPL), says what’s left of his Test career is a “series-by-series proposition,” and has expressed his desire to play in the 2028 Olympic Games.
In an interview with The Telegraph, Smith admitted he could retire before the next Ashes. The allure of finally winning a Test series in England is enticing, but it’s no guarantee.
“I don’t even know if I’ll be there yet,” Smith said. “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. So, yeah, I’d love to win one there or to have won one there, but you wait and see if that comes to fruition.”
Steve Smith could retire before 2027 Ashes, with T20 high on his priority list
Australia have 13 Tests (and potentially 14 with the WTC Final) before the 2027 Ashes. Smith’s future will rest on how he feels after each series. A first Test tour of South Africa since sandpaper gate in 2018 is up next, and Smith is looking forward to the challenge.
“Oh, for me, it’s just another series,” Smith said. “All that [ball-tampering] happened a long time ago, and we’ve played a lot of cricket – we’ve been back to South Africa since then for one-dayers.
“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.”
Smith says he has achieved a lot in the game, hinting that a retirement isn’t too far away. He has played 125 Tests, ammassing 10,920 runs at a superb average of 56.00 with 37 centuries. In England, he has hit 3,703 runs at 56.10.
T20 is high on the priority list for Smith, who is targeting his Olympics dream in 2028. Cricket will return to the games for the first time in 128 years, and Smith wants to be part of it.
“I still like to think I could play T20 cricket for a while,” he reflects. “What’s next for me when I finish? I’m not sure, but yeah, hopefully a bit more time left playing.
“I’ve achieved a lot in the game. It’s been a great ride for the last 15 years or thereabouts. 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. But it’s been a good ride.
“Right now [unfulfilled ambitions] probably it’s just the Olympics to try to be a part of that. One of the reasons why I wanted to play with Amsterdam here was just to continue playing as much T20 cricket as I can.”
Once Smith finishes up at the ETPL, he will head to South Africa for a highly-anticipated Test series. A strong series for the number two-ranked Test batsman may prolong his wonderful red-ball career a little longer, but time will tell.
