Steve Smith casts doubt over 2027 Ashes future

Steve Smith has left open the possibility that he will not play in the 2027 Ashes in England, saying the Olympics in Los Angeles the following year now sits above it on his list of goals.

The 37-year-old, currently turning out for Amsterdam Flames in the European T20 Premier League, told The Telegraph:

"Right now probably it's just the Olympics [as a goal] to try to be a part of that. One of the reasons why I wanted to play with Amsterdam here was just to continue playing as much T20 cricket as I can."

Cricket returns to the Olympic programme in LA in 2028 for the first time in 128 years, in T20 format only. On the Ashes, Smith was non-committal:

"I don't even know if I'll be there yet. I'm kind of a series-by-series proposition, as I've been for a while, and that's still a fair way away for me right now. So, yeah, I'd love to win one there or to have won one there, but you wait and see if that comes to fruition."

Smith has never won an Ashes series on English soil. That gap sits alongside 125 Test caps and 37 centuries, and he remains the second-highest ranked Test batsman in the world behind Harry Brook. None of it, on his own account, is enough to make him commit.

"I still like to think I could play T20 cricket for a while. What's next for me when I finish? I'm not sure, but yeah, hopefully a bit more time left playing. I've achieved a lot in the game. It's been a great ride for the last 15 years or thereabouts. I've had a lot of fun. I'm still enjoying it, so I don't have an end date, we'll wait and see. But it's been a good ride."

Amsterdam Flames, founded in 2026 and playing at the 4,500-capacity VRA Cricket Ground, sit fourth in the European T20 Premier League with 7 points from 6 matches. Australia play three Tests in South Africa next month.