Steve Smith Retires: Australia’s stand-in skipper at the Champions Trophy, Smith, will continue to be available for Test and T20I selection.
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Steve Smith Retires: Australia’s stand-in skipper at the Champions Trophy, Steve Smith, on Wednesday, announced his retirement from ODIs, hours after his team’s elimination from the marquee ICC tournament following a four-wicket defeat to title-favourites India in Dubai.
Smith will continue to be available for Test and T20I selection, the latter decision perhaps reflecting a desire to be part of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, where T20Is will feature for the first time.
Smith told teammates of his decision in the aftermath of the Champions Trophy semifinal loss to India.
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“It has been a great ride, and I have loved every minute of it. There have been so many amazing times and wonderful memories. Winning two World Cups was a great highlight, along with the many fantastic teammates who shared the journey,” Smith was quoted as saying in a Cricket Australia release.
“Now is a great opportunity for people to start preparing for the 2027 ODI World Cup, so it feels like the right time to make way,” Smith added.
By the time of the 2027 ODI World Cup, the star Australia batter would be 38 years old, and the age factor presumably played a part in his decision-making.
Smith finishes his ODI career with 170 appearances, making him Australia’s 16th-most-capped men’s player in ODIs and the 12th-highest run scorer.
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Smith led Australia in 64 ODIs, for a winning percentage of 50%, including series victories over arch-rivals England and India in his first year as full-time captain, the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy, and a tri-series win against South Africa and the Windies in the Caribbean.
Smith captained Australia to a 3-0 clean sweep of the Windies in Pat Cummins’ absence as skipper during the 2023-24 home summer.
Smith ends with 5800 runs at an average of 43.28 and 12 hundreds to his name. Of the 11 Australia cricketers to have scored more ODI runs, just explosive openers David Warner and Adam Gilchrist have done so at a faster clip, better than Smith’s strike rate of 86.96.
Smith was an important part of Australia’s World Cup-winning campaigns in 2015, where he struck the winning four in the final against New Zealand at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and 2023, when Australia upset hosts India in the summit clash.
