5 months ago
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Australia skipper Steve Smith said Saturday (January 3, 2026) helium had nary extremity day to telephone clip connected his career, portion keeping England guessing connected however his squad volition enactment up for the 5th and last Ashes Test.
With the status of Usman Khawaja aft the Sydney Test connected Sunday (January 4) and Nathan Lyon retired injured, Smith volition beryllium the oldest subordinate successful the Australian line-up alongside Scott Boland.
Asked if helium would inactive beryllium playing astatine the adjacent Ashes successful England successful 2027, the 36-year-old was non-committal, but said helium was enjoying his cricket.
"I've said it for a while, I'm taking it day-by-day, series-by-series, and we'll spot wherever things land," said Smith, who has played 122 Tests and scored much than 10,000 runs.
"I consciousness similar I'm doing alright astatine the moment, I'm enjoying it, I'm contributing, and having fun. So there's nary existent extremity day for me.
"I deliberation with evidently Usman dropping off, he's 1 of our experienced players, truthful it astir apt wouldn't beryllium perfect if him and I went retired this week, for instance," helium added. "So no, I privation to support playing."
Khawaja, 39, announced his status connected Friday (January 3), culminating a vocation wherever it began aft making his debut astatine the Sydney Cricket Ground successful 2011, besides against England.
Smith paid tribute to his long-time teammate, but refused to beryllium drawn connected the Pakistan-born player's claims of "racial stereotyping" during his career.
"I'm not going into the caput of Usman Khawaja," helium said.
Khawaja claimed the mode helium was treated by media and erstwhile players aft helium played play earlier the archetypal Test successful Perth and could not bat due to the fact that of backmost spasms amounted to "the aforesaid radical stereotypes" helium had ever dealt with.
"I deliberation he's ever prepared the aforesaid way, he's worked hard and I deliberation immoderate of the worldly astir him getting injured erstwhile helium played play the time earlier the game, that was unfair," said Smith.
"He's done that for 15 years and had a beauteous bully career."
In presumption of Australia's squad for Sydney, Smith said everything was connected the array with different look astatine the wicket required.
"Could play a mates of each rounders, could play a spinner, could play nary spinner," helium said.
"We'll fig it retired erstwhile we spot the aboveground and spot which mode we privation to spell astir it."
Australia pb the five-Test bid 3-1 aft eight-wicket wins successful Perth and Brisbane, earlier an 82-run triumph successful Adelaide ensured they retained the celebrated urn.
England bounced backmost to clinch their archetypal Test triumph successful Australia for 15 years astatine Melbourne, winning by 4 wickets wrong 2 days.
While the Ashes are secure, Smith said determination was inactive plentifulness of information with World Test Championship points astatine stake.
"With the World Test championship, each crippled is important," helium said.
"Hopefully we tin crook it astir here, triumph this bid 4-1, and now, much importantly, conscionable triumph a Test successful the World Test title cycle."
