Steve Smith Breaks Silence on Retirement Talk: “I’m Just Enjoying My Cricket Right Now”

January 03, 2026: Australia’s stand-in Test captain Steve Smith has made it clear that he is not retiring from Test cricket anytime soon. He was speaking ahead of the fifth and final Ashes Test against England at the SCG, where he was asked if he would follow Usman Khawaja’s footsteps and retire from the longest format of the game. The 36-year-old gave a clear and blunt answer, “No”.

Smith said it would not be ideal for him to step away from the game, especially when an experienced player like Khawaja is already moving on. He also stressed that he is enjoying his cricket at the moment and does not want to think too far ahead.

“With Usman dropping out now, he is one of our experienced players, so it probably wouldn’t be ideal if he and I went out this week. I want to keep playing, so don’t read too much into that. I’m still playing, I’m enjoying it, and we’ll wait and see,” Smith said at the press conference.

Notably, Australia are not scheduled to play another Test match until August 2026 after the Sydney game. By then, Smith will be 37 years old.

Australia stare at a packed Test schedule

Australia have a busy Test schedule once they return to the format later this year, and the South Africa tour will be a major one for Steve Smith. It will be Australia’s first tour of the Rainbow Nation since the sandpaper-gate scandal in 2018, which saw Smith and David Warner banned for one year. Smith was also banned from captaincy for two years.

Tough tours and key series ahead

Australia are then scheduled to host New Zealand for a two-Test series before touring India for a five-match Test series. This will come after the special 150th anniversary Test against England. Following the World Test Championship 2025–27 final, Australia will tour England for the return Ashes series. Smith is looking forward to playing his part and helping the team manage the transition phase.

Smith focused on enjoyment and mentoring role

“I’m just enjoying my cricket. It’s fun, and I feel we have a really good team. Over the past three or four years, we have made two World Test Championship finals. Different players have stepped up at different times. It has never been about one or two players doing the job; the responsibility has been shared,” Smith said.

“That has made us a strong team. It has been great to be a part of it. As an older player now, I hope I can help the younger players coming through and teach them the game of Test cricket. That is my role now,” he added.

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