Steve Smith has insisted he has no intention of following Usman Khawaja into retirement, raising the prospect of one final Ashes tour of England in 2027. Khawaja, who turned 39 last month, will end his Test career at the Sydney Cricket Ground after the fifth Test against England, leaving the 36-year-old Smith as the senior figure in the Australia dressing room.
Smith, who is captaining the side as stand-in skipper, has been the subject of speculation over his own future since stepping away from one-day internationals last March. However, he made clear that he is not planning an imminent exit from red-ball cricket.
Australia are facing an eight-month gap between Test series before a packed schedule of up to 21 matches in the following year, including the 2027 tour of England. Smith, who has never tasted series success on English soil, may well remain for that campaign.
"With Usman dropping off now, that's one of our experienced players and it probably wouldn't be ideal if he and I both went out this week, for instance," he said. "It's a shame he's gone, now I'm the oldest one here. I want to keep playing, I'm still enjoying it. We've got a really good team."
Australia have yet to finalise their line-up as they aim to convert their 3-1 series lead into a 4-1 triumph. All-rounder Cameron Green is vulnerable after a modest series, with Beau Webster pressing for a place, while a late pitch inspection will decide whether spinner Todd Murphy earns a home debut at the SCG.
