Steve Smith's cheeky response to cricket retirement suggestions
The former Aussie skipper played a typically straight bat when asked if David Warner's impending Test retirement had influenced his own plans.
Steve Smith has bristled at talk of his own cricketing retirement, in the wake of Australian teammate David Warner's announcement he'll be stepping away from Test cricket this summer. Warner's retirement, which he says will come after the SCG Test this summer, marks the first time since Mitchell Johnson in 2015 that an active Test player has announced their retirement.
The former Aussie skipper had hinted at a potential retirement prior to the tour of India earlier in 2023 - comments that Smith quickly walked back. The 34-year-old was once again quizzed about his playing future at a press conference ahead of the World Test Championship final against India, which will get underway at The Oval on Wednesday, AEST.
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Smith is two years younger than Warner but questions have persisted about his cricketing future, particularly in the wake of Warner's decision. When asked about his future on Tuesday, he played a typically straight bat.
He grinned and simply responded by saying 'Nah' when asked if Warner's announcement had prompted him to consider his own future in the Test arena. He cheekily replied with the same again when asked to elaborate on his answer.
He did however, admit that Warner's clear decision to step away from the game this summer was a wise one, enabling the team to have some degree of certainty moving into the future. He did point out though, that Warner would have to prove he belonged in the Test team until his planned SCG farewell.
“It’s nice to have an end date, I suppose, if that’s the way you want to go,” Smith said. “But ultimately for all of us we’ve going to be doing our job and for batters that is scoring runs.
“In an ideal world, I think Davey said that’s when he’d like to pick it up. But we’ve got to score runs, all of us. So we’ll see what happens.”
For the time being, the former skipper's place in the Test arena appears to be assured. Smith's bigger focus is the future of Test cricket more broadly.
He has some fears that the lucrative money on offer in domestic T20 leagues around the world could end up eroding the base of quality red ball cricketers. He said he was 'slightly concerned' about the future of Test cricket.
“I am slightly concerned,” Smith said. “Hopefully Test cricket still stays alive and well.
“I think it’s in a good place at the moment in terms of some of the games we’ve seen recently have been pretty amazing. As a traditionalist and someone that loves Test cricket, I hope it still remains at the front of all the boards’ minds and stays alive and well for some time to come.”
Smith Smith fears for Test cricket echoed by Nathan Lyon
Smith's comments echo similar sentiments from Nathan Lyon, who has challenged the next generation of Australian spin bowlers to commit themselves to the Test arena. It also comes as England struggle to find a replacement for Jack Leach, with Moeen Ali to potentially come out of his own Test retirement to replace him amid a dearth of alternative options.
Lyon, Australia's most prolific Test spinner since Shane Warne, has urged his successors to try and resist the temptation of the big money on offer in white ball cricket around the world to ensure a similar situation doesn't develop at home.
"The young guys have to decide whether they want to live the high life and get paid really well or do they really want to challenge themselves and play for Australia," Lyon told Yahoo Sport Australia. "To get your baggy green and play Test cricket for a long time, that's the absolute ultimate.
"Test cricket is still the pinnacle. It is the only format where you cannot hide. In T20 cricket and one-day cricket, you can get away with having a little weakness or shortcoming.
"In Test cricket, if you have a weakness against the short ball or short-pitched bowling or spin bowling or whatever it may be, you always get found out. I'm definitely not concerned about the future of Test cricket but it's on players, not just administrators, to ensure it has a future."
Lyon sits on 97 consecutive Tests for Australia and will crack the ton, if all goes to plan, in the second Ashes Test at Lord's. Mark Waugh (107) and Allan Border (153) are the only Australians above him on that exclusive list. But it's another piece of history Lyon is chasing first.
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