Australia batsman Steve Smith opens up on international retirement plans

Steve Smith is not part of Australia’s T20I team anymore.

Veteran Australian cricketer Steve Smith has signed a three-year deal with his Big Bash League (BBL) team Sydney Sixers. This prompted questions about Smith’s plans for his international career as the cricketer recently turned 35.

Hailed by many as Australia’s greatest test batsman since Don Bradman, Smith has been dropped from Australia’s T20I team but remains an integral part of the teams in the other two formats.

The 35-year-old has featured in 109 test matches, in which he scored 9685 runs at an average of 56.97. Among batters with a minimum of 5000 test runs, Smith’s current average is the sixth-best and the second-best among Australians after Bradman’s 99.94. Not too long ago, he was touching the average of 60 and was on the second spot on this list.

I don’t have any plans: Steve Smith

After Smith confirmed a three-year contract with Sydney Sixers, he was asked about his international future and retirement. The 35-year-old bluntly stated, “I don’t have any plans.”

He added that right now he’s looking forward to the five-match test series against India for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy later this year at home.

Steve Smith said, “I’m just enjoying playing at the moment, I’m pretty relaxed and looking forward to this summer. India’s going to be a great challenge, they are a very good side, think we are probably the two best Test teams in the world going head-to-head over five Tests. I’m excited by that.”

A debate has been raging over Smith’s promotion as an opener in test cricket after David Warner’s retirement. In eight innings as an opener, Smith has scored only 171 runs at an average of 28. Even his teammate Usman Khawaja believes Smith’s best slot is at number four.

Smith stated, “The conversations I’ve had so far is that we’ll go to England…I’m there for the one-dayers then make a decision after that. There’s conversations happening in the background. Guys like Usman [Khawaja] has said he likes me down at No. 4, think Marnus is of a similar thought pattern. We’ll wait and see. I’m happy to bat anywhere.”

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