Will Steve Smith retire from international cricket? His manager clears air

Steve Smith has played 322 matches for Australia in international cricket.

In recent weeks, speculation has been rising about Australian cricket batter Steve Smith contemplating retirement from international cricket. However, his long-time manager, Warren Craig, has emphatically responded to these rumors.

Amidst talks of teammate David Warner bidding farewell to test cricket after the third and final test against Pakistan in January 2024, concerns arose about whether Smith would follow suit. Despite a challenging season against India and England, Steve Smith’s manager quashed retirement talks, emphasizing the cricketer’s focus on future achievements.

Steve Smith retirement plans

While Smith’s overall test average remains exceptional at 58.61, his recent season has seen a dip in form, with only 518 runs at an average of 34.53 across 17 innings. Despite this, Warren Craig stated, “I can debunk that (retirement) at this point in time. He’s still talking about things he wants to achieve,” reported by the Sydney Morning Herald.

The 34 year old’s, illustrious career consists of multiple achievements, including three Ashes victories, two ODI World Cups, a T20 World Cup, and the recent World Test Championship, seems poised to continue. Smith, on the brink of joining the elite 10,000-run club in tests, might be eyeing this milestone as a compelling reason to prolong his international career.

Mark Taylor, the former Australian captain, offered a word of caution, he said,“It doesn’t mean they’re done (in mid 30s), but normally you’ve seen their best by then. The early-30s would be the purple patch for most players.” This insight adds a layer of consideration to Smith’s future endeavors.

Smith’s recent form in the ODI World Cup was not that great, he scored 302 runs at an average of 33.55. As he gears up for the upcoming three-match test series against Pakistan and an all-format tour of West Indies starting January 17, the cricketing world will be keenly observing Smith’s performance.

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