Australia captain Steve Smith has dismissed retirement rumors, saying he is taking cricket day-by-day and series-by-series. With Usman Khawaja retiring and Nathan Lyon injured, Smith will be one of the oldest players in the lineup for the fifth Ashes Test. He emphasized that he is still enjoying his cricket and contributing to the team.
Smith, 36, has played 122 Tests and scored more than 10,000 runs. He was non-committal about playing in the 2027 Ashes in England but stressed his desire to continue. “I feel like I’m doing alright, I’m enjoying it, and having fun. So there’s no real end date for me,” he said. Smith added that with Khawaja leaving, it would not be ideal for him to step away now.
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The retiring Khawaja, 39, concluded a career that began in 2011 at Sydney Cricket Ground against England. Smith praised his longtime teammate’s dedication, saying some media criticism of Khawaja’s pre-match golf was unfair. “He’s done that for 15 years and had a pretty good career,” Smith said, while avoiding direct comment on Khawaja’s claims of racial stereotyping.
Looking ahead to Sydney, Smith said team selection would depend on the pitch. He suggested several possibilities, including spinners or all-rounders, and said the team would adapt based on conditions. Australia leads the five-Test series 3-1 after victories in Perth, Brisbane, and Adelaide, securing the Ashes for now. England’s win in Melbourne broke a 15-year drought but was not enough to reclaim the series.
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Despite Ashes success, Smith highlighted the importance of World Test Championship points. “Every game is important. Hopefully we can turn it around here, win this series 4-1, and win a Test in the WTC cycle,” he said. With retirements and injuries, Australia’s team may look very different by the next Ashes in 2027.