Steve Smith drops big hint at Test retirement, not sure of featuring in Ashes series

Australia's batting juggernaut Steve Smith has cast doubt over his involvement in the upcoming Ashes tour of England, confirming he is evaluating his Test career on a series-by-series basis. The 37-year-old remains the second-ranked men's Test batter in the world behind England's Harry Brook, boasting 37 centuries across 125 Test appearances.

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I don't even know if I'll be there yet: Steve Smith on Ashes uncertainty

Speaking to The Telegraph, Smith acknowledged that while an Ashes series victory on English soil remains an unfulfilled ambition, committing to the tour is far from certain. He noted that his Test future remains an open question and that he is taking things one assignment at a time. Instead, Smith has set his sights on competing at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Citing the Games as his primary remaining motivation, the veteran right-hander explained that his current stint in the ETPL is a deliberate effort to maximize his T20 match practice and stay sharp in the shortest format.

"I don't even know if I'll be there yet. 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," Smith said.

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Despite boasting an extraordinary record in Ashes encounters—including seven centuries on English soil—Steve Smith still finds away series triumphs in both England and India missing from his resume. With 10,920 runs at a stunning average of 56 across 125 Test matches, his 37 centuries place him second only to Ricky Ponting in Australian cricket history.

The only goal Smith is chasing is LA Olympics

His long-term future comes at a delicate time for Cricket Australia, which faces an unprecedented 18-Test marathon over the next year, potentially capped by a World Test Championship final. An abrupt departure from Smith before this grueling stretch would severely weaken the middle order, especially given Marnus Labuschagne’s recent struggles and a shortage of proven top-order replacements in domestic cricket.

Yet Smith's primary focus appears to be shifting toward the shortest format. Aiming to secure a spot in Australia’s squad for cricket’s Olympic return at the 2028 Los Angeles Games, Smith is prioritizing global franchise T20 leagues to rebuild his short-format credentials—having last represented Australia in a T20 International in February 2024. As he succinctly noted, making the Olympic squad remains his single biggest motivation at this stage of his career.

"Right now probably it's just the Olympics (as a goal) 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," he added.