Steve Smith’s ODI retirement hints at Australia’s road towards 2027

Steve Smith’s retirement from ODI cricket at the age of 35, hours after his team’s exit from the ICC Champions Trophy, points at how world champions Australia might be headed towards the next World Cup in 2027.

With David Warner having quit the ODI format after Australia won the 50-over prize in 2023 – and subsequently international cricket in 2024 – and Marcus Stoinis retiring as well just weeks before the Champions Trophy, news of Smith walking away from ODI cricket could be a portent of things to come.

Australia’s squad for the tournament was already missing Pat Cummins (ankle), Mitchell Starc (personal reasons), Josh Hazlewood (hip) and Mitchell Marsh (back) and now that Smith has retired from ODIs it might prompt other senior cricketers to take stock of where they stand. 

Starc is 35, Hazlewood 34, Marsh 33 and Cummins 31. Starc is a doubt for the World cup to be played in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia in October and November 2027, and Hazlewood will be 37 by then. Marsh has had his share of injuries over the years and is no certainty for the 2027 World Cup, by which time he will be 36. 

So that leaves the regular captain, Cummins, as the likeliest of the four seniors to be around in two and a half years. Of the current Champions Trophy squad, Glenn Maxwell is 36, Alex Carey 33 and Adam Zampa 32. 

When the squad was announced, the Cricket Austalia chief selector George Bailey hinted at a rebuilding phase. Smith’s announcement here in Dubai today, in a statement after he informed his team-mates that the Champions Trophy semi-final was his final ODI appearance, might tip others into exiting the stage in the next year or so. 

“It has been a great ride and I have loved every minute of it,” Smith said in a release today. “There have been so many amazing times and wonderful memories. Winning two World Cups was a great highlight along with the many fantastic team-mates who shared the journey. “Test cricket remains a priority and I am really looking forward to the World Test Championship final, the West Indies in the winter and then England at home. I feel I still have a lot to contribute on that stage.”

Smith confirmed he is available for selection in Tests and T20Is. He retires with 170 ODI caps, the 16th most for Australia, and their 12th highest run-getter with 5800 at an average of 43.28 and a strike-rate of 86.86. He made 12 centuries and 35 half-centuries in ODIs with a personal best of 164 scored against New Zealand in 2016. 

Smith led Australia in 64 of his 170 ODI games with a success rate of 50%. He is a two-time World Cup winner, in 2015 and 2023.