Australia’s Steve Smith says he has no plans to follow team-mate Usman Khawaja into international retirement, increasing the prospect of one last Ashes trip to England.
Smith, speaking ahead of the final Test of this winter’s series in Sydney from Sunday, will be 38 when the Baggy Greens tour England in the summer of 2027.
The batter has never won an Ashes series overseas, although has drawn the previous two, in 2019 and 2023.
Smith told reporters at the SCG, as 39-year-old Khawaja bows out where he played his first Test in 2011: “With Usman dropping off now, that’s one of our experienced players and it probably wouldn’t be ideal if he and I both went out this week, for instance.
“It’s a shame he’s gone, now I’m the oldest one here. I want to keep playing, I’m still enjoying it. We’ve got a really good team.
“I’ve said for a while I’m taking it day by day, series by series and we’ll see where things land.
“I feel like I’m doing alright at the moment, I’m contributing and having fun so there’s no real end date for me, I suppose.”
Smith will captain Australia once again in Sydney, deputising for the rested Pat Cummins.
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Australia’s Usman Khawaja called out a culture of ‘racial stereotypes’ as he announced his retirement from Test cricket
Smith: Khawaja has had a wonderful career
On Khawaja, who has scored 6, 206 runs in 87 Tests with 16 hundreds, Smith added: “He’s had a wonderful career (and) we knew he was such a talent from a young age.
“I remember playing against him in a couple of under-17 versus under-19 games for New South Wales and watching him bat.
“The way he pulled the ball, I thought ‘this guy picks length up quicker than anyone I’ve seen’. I feel throughout his career he’s been batting his best when he’s been doing that.
“His progression over a long period of time has been outstanding.
“The way he’s been able to play over his 15-year career, it’s credit to him. Not too many people get to go out on their own terms so he should be pretty pleased.”
Will Australia drop Green for final Test?
As Australia aim to secure a 4-1 series win and bounce back from their two-day defeat in the Boxing Day Test at the MCG, all-rounder Cameron Green’s spot in the side appears vulnerable.
The 26-year-old had is averaging 18.66 across six innings with just one score above 24, when he made 45 batting under the lights during the second Test in Brisbane, and could be replaced in the XI by Beau Webster.
Cameron Green has struggled for form during The Ashes
Smith said of Green, who has batted as high as No 5 and as low as No 8 in this series: “We’ve played on some hard surfaces for batting. “We’ve seen two two-day games. It’s not easy, but has got himself in on a few occasions and probably not gone on with it.
“That’s probably the disappointing part about it, starting your innings is actually the hardest thing, he’s doing that pretty well and just finding a way to get out.
“He’s batted in different spots, which also can’t be easy as well when you’re trying to nail down one sort of role.
“Greeny hasn’t got the runs he’s wanted so far but I think he’s actually looked quite good at times too. We know he’s a bright player, every time he goes back to Sheffield Shield cricket he smashes it.
“Regardless of what happens right now, we think he’s got a really bright future.”
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