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Steve Smith, Australia's stand-in captain in the ongoing Ashes series, dismissed the retirement speculations ahead of the fifth and final Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), starting January 4.
Widely regarded as one of the best red-ball batters in cricket, Smith has endured a dip in his form over recent years, at least by his own standards. Smith averaged over 70 in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019. Although Smith averaged over 50 in 2021, 2022, and 2025, he hasn't delivered the kind of impact that originally defined his reputation, leading to speculation about retirement. However, speaking ahead of the Sydney Test, Smith said he's taking his career "day by day, series by series" and hasn't set an end date, adding that he is enjoying playing, contributing and having fun. "I don't know. I don't know what I'm doing at the end of this week. I've said it for a while. I'm taking it day by day, series by series. We'll see where things land. I feel like I'm doing all right at the moment. I'm enjoying it. I'm contributing and having fun. There's no real end date for me, I suppose. I'm still playing. I'm enjoying it," Smith said during the pre-match press conference on Saturday. Smith praised the team's collective effort over the past few years, highlighted his role as a senior player in mentoring younger teammates, and emphasised the shared contributions that have made the team successful recently. "I think we've got a really good team. I think the team we've had over the last three or four years, obviously making two World Test Championship finals, different people have stood up at different times. It's never been one or two people just getting the job done. It's been shared across and guys have done great jobs throughout and I think that's what's made us a really good team. So it's been good to be a part of and, yeah, as an older player now, hopefully I can help some of the players coming through and help teach them the game of test cricket. I guess that's my role now," Smith added. (ANI)
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