Multan Sultans opener Steve Smith was livid with himself after getting out cheaply in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026 Eliminator 1 against Hyderabad Kingsmen on April 29.
After Kingsmen skipper Marnus Labuschagne won the toss, he opted to bowl first. Smith looked to get his side off to a flying start. In the third over, he targeted pacer Mohammad Ali. After a four on the second ball, he was dropped by Maaz Sadaqat. He got a boundary on the penultimate ball before he went for an aerial shot and got caught by Sadaqat.
Smith departed after scoring 13 runs from 10 balls. After walking into the dressing room, he hit the bat on the dressing room floor in anger. The video of Australia’s Smith abusing the cricket equipment has gone viral on social media.
Smith's opening partner Sahibzada Farhan was dismissed cheaply as well. Shan Masood's unbeaten 46-ball 69 took Multan Sultans to a respectable total of 159/9 at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.
Opener Sadaqat and Usman Khan's 64-run knocks helped Kingsmen chase down the total with eight wickets in hand and 28 balls to spare. Labuschagne-led Kingsmen will now face Islamabad United in the Eliminator 2 on May 1.
How Smith performed in maiden PSL season?
In his debut PSL season, Smith scored 380 runs from 11 innings at an average of 34.54 and strike rate of 161.70, including a century and two fifties.
He is the joint-highest run-scorer for Sultans in the season, alongside opening partner Farhan. Smith and Farhan hold the fourth spot. The list led by Peshawar Zalmi captain Babar Azam (588 runs), followed by his teammate Kusal Mendis (541 runs).
What’s next for Smith?
Smith may be looking at a long layoff period after the PSL stint. Australia are scheduled to tour Bangladesh for a white-ball series in June. Since Smith has already retired from ODIs, he'll be hoping to get back into the T20I side, especially after the Mitchell Marsh-led side's early exit from T20 World Cup 2026.
The T20I series in Bangladesh begins on June 17. The pitches in Bangladesh are not batting paradises. Australia may look to retain Smith in the squad as he has already made his intentions clear for his T20I future.