Steve Smith is uncertain about his future in Australia’s T20I team and is focused on improving his game to earn a return. He was not included in the squad for the T20 World Cup 2024 or the series against England and Scotland.
Smith last played T20Is in February and was not chosen for the Men’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies, where Australia did not advance to the semi-finals. Despite David Warner’s retirement, Smith was overlooked in favor of younger players like Cooper Connolly and Jake Fraser-McGurk.
“In terms of international T20s, I don’t know what’s going on there. They’ve obviously got some people they want to bring in, and that’s fine. I understood the way that they wanted to stack up for the World Cup, with all the strong guys that smack it miles. I understood that. I’m not that fussed. I’ll just go about my business, keep trying to improve and get better,” said Smith
In July, Steve Smith led the Washington Freedom to their first Major League Cricket (MLC) title, scoring 336 runs at a strike rate of 148.67. He was named Player of the Match for his 52-ball 88 in the final against the San Francisco Unicorns.
Although Smith hasn’t played in the IPL since 2021 and worked as a broadcaster during this year’s tournament, he remains confident about his ability to return to the ten-team competition.
“I’d certainly love another opportunity at IPL. I’ll be throwing my name in the hat, and we’ll see how we go. I feel like in every opportunity I’ve had in T20 cricket recently and franchise stuff, I’ve played quite nicely. So hopefully I just keep putting my name up there and enjoying it.”
Smith is keen to play for the Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League (BBL) in January after the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. However, he might miss the finals due to Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka in February 2025.
“I haven’t even looked at the schedule, to be honest. But I’ve enjoyed playing for the Sixers whenever I’ve had the opportunity. It’s a really great franchise with great people, and they’ve had a lot of success. We’ll see how we go. I’d love to play a few games.”
