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Champion batter Steve Smith has no plans to follow David Warner in hanging up the baggy green this season, as he heads into the home Test summer in a lean run of form by his own impeccably high standards.<\/p>\n
Smith has been cryptic when quizzed about retirement at times this year, but his manager came out on the front foot to declare the batting ace wants to play on.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can debunk that (retirement) at this point in time,\u201d Smith\u2019s long-time manager Warren Craig told this masthead. \u201cHe\u2019s still talking about things he wants to achieve.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Steve Smith\u2019s manager says the star batsman has no plans to retire this summer.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n Those goals include the Twenty20 World Cup in the Caribbean and US next year when Australia will be aiming to be the first nation to hold all three world titles at once, and the blockbuster home series against India in 12 months\u2019 time.<\/p>\n Though Smith is not driven by personal milestones, he is also within sight of becoming just the fourth Australian to reach 10,000 Test runs \u2013 a landmark he is every chance of reaching on home soil next season.<\/p>\n Smith unwittingly fuelled conjecture over his playing future in January when he said during the Sydney Test he was unsure if he would play another Test at home. He also knocked back an opportunity to take retirement off the agenda in June when asked about his playing future before the World Test Championship final.<\/p>\n David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne, and Steve Smith after Australia\u2019s World Cup victory in India.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n Though Smith, 34, remains one of the game\u2019s pre-eminent batters and, unlike Warner, his place in the Test XI is not in doubt, his numbers suggest he is entering his decline.<\/p>\n In nine Tests since the end of last season at home, Smith is averaging a modest 34, albeit against formidable opposition in India on treacherous spin-friendly tracks, and in a high-pressure Ashes series on English soil.<\/p>\n Almost every batter to have played the game would take his average of 50 since the start of 2022, but even that figure is down on his career mark of a shade under 59, and a long way from his heroics in the 2019 Ashes when he was the lone reason why Australia retained the urn in England for the first time since 2001.<\/p>\n Former Australian captain Mark Taylor.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Nine<\/cite><\/p>\n In another sign Smith is no longer at the peak of his powers, he missed opportunities this year to be Australia\u2019s match-winner, most notably at Delhi, Headingley, The Oval and, more recently, in the World Cup final.<\/p>\n Former Australian captain Mark Taylor did not rule out Smith hitting another golden run late in his career, but said players at Smith\u2019s age did not tend to improve.<\/p>\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re done, but normally you\u2019ve seen their best by then,\u201d Taylor said. \u201cThe early-30s would be the purple patch for most players.\u201d<\/p>\n Tests at home against Pakistan and the lowly West Indies appear gilt-edged opportunities for Smith to amass a mountain of runs, though he can need the challenge of a big occasion to bring out his best.<\/p>\n Four years ago after his bumper comeback from suspension in England, he went through series against Pakistan and New Zealand at home without a century when he often came to the crease with Australia in dominant positions. He was also stifled by a bumper barrage from Black Caps enforcer Neil Wagner.<\/p>\n \u201cHe had that extra motivation to prove he\u2019d come back an even better player \u2013 and on pitches that did a bit,\u201d Taylor said. \u201cHe did that, and funnily enough he came back on the Australian summer and didn\u2019t make a lot of runs.\u201d<\/p>\n News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Monday. <\/i><\/b>Sign up for our Sport newsletter<\/i><\/b>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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