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Veteran Australian batsman Steve Smith has indicated he has no immediate plans to retire, following his recent signing of a long-term contract with the Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League (BBL).
At 35 years old, Smith has committed to a three-year deal with the Sixers, which may allow him to participate in up to four BBL matches during the domestic summer, between the last Test against India and the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka.
Although Steve Smith was not selected for Australia’s Twenty20 World Cup squad for the upcoming tournament in the United States and the Caribbean, he remains dedicated to participating in all formats of the game.
“I don’t have any plans, I’m just enjoying playing at the moment. I’m pretty relaxed and I’m looking forward to this summer,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
“I think I’ll get a few (BBL) games in this year and then we’ll see where we go from there. Every chance I get, I jump at it.”
After David Warner’s retirement from Test cricket post the Pakistan series last home summer, Steve Smith stepped up to open the batting for Australia in the series against the West Indies and New Zealand. During those eight innings, Smith accumulated 171 runs at an average of 28.25, a significant drop from his career average of 56.97.
As the five-Test series against India approaches, starting on November 22 at Perth Stadium, Smith has expressed uncertainty about whether he will continue to open the batting. However, he hinted that his teammates might prefer him to return to the number four position, where he has traditionally excelled throughout much of his Test career.
“The conversations I’ve had so far are that we’ll go to England and the boys will have the T20s, and then I’m there for the one-dayers and we’ll make a decision after that,” he said.
“Those conversations are happening in the background. I saw some comments that Usman (Khawaja) made and I think he said he likes me down at number four, and I think Marnus (Labuschagne) is of a similar thought pattern.
“I’m happy wherever and I’ll bat anywhere for the team. For me it’s just a position.”
