Ashes 2025: ‘Day by day’- Steve Smith breaks silence on retirement | Cricket News

Steve Smith has moved swiftly to shut down talk of an imminent retirement, insisting he remains fully invested in Test cricket ahead of the fifth and final Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, starting January 4. Australia’s stand-in captain acknowledged that recent years have not quite matched the extraordinary standards he set earlier in his career, but stressed that speculation around his future is premature. Smith’s peak years saw him dominate red-ball cricket, averaging over 70 across multiple seasons between 2014 and 2019. While his numbers since then remain strong — averaging above 50 in 2021, 2022 and 2025 — the absence of sustained, match-defining spells has prompted outside chatter about his longevity. Speaking at the pre-match press conference in Sydney, Smith made it clear that he has no fixed timeline in mind and is focused only on the present.

“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,” Smith said. “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 also reflected on Australia’s recent success in Test cricket, pointing to the collective strength of the side rather than reliance on individual brilliance. Australia have reached two World Test Championship finals in the last few years, a run Smith believes highlights the depth and balance within the squad. “I think we’ve got a really good team,” he said. “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.” As one of the senior figures in the dressing room, Smith sees his role evolving beyond just runs. “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,” he added. For now, Smith’s focus remains firmly on the SCG and the task at hand, with retirement a conversation he is in no rush to have.