Australia's veteran batsman Steve Smith admitted that he is uncertain whether he will be part of the Australian side that travels to England for the 2027 Ashes series. The 38‑year‑old will celebrate his birthday just weeks before the opening Test at Trent Bridge in June, and the prospect of playing in an Ashes tour on English soil could represent his final opportunity to win the trophy away from home, a feat he has never achieved.
In an interview with The Telegraph, Smith explained his ambivalence: "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. That's still a fair way away for me right now.
I'd love to win an Ashes in England but you wait and see if that comes to fruition." His comments underline a pragmatic approach to selection, where he evaluates his form and fitness on a per‑series basis rather than committing to a distant future. Smith's statistics in England are impressive.
Over 23 Tests on English pitches he has amassed 2,334 runs at an average of 54.27, including eight centuries and ten half‑centuries. In the 2025 season he averaged just over 50 across nine Tests, and in the current year—across three matches (one versus England and two against Bangladesh)—his average sits at a lofty 61.40. These numbers illustrate his continued ability to adapt to the swinging, seaming conditions that characterize English cricket.
When asked about his recent form, Smith said, "I feel I'm batting really nicely. I've found different ways to go about things on these tricky surfaces and still be able to score runs.
So trying to contribute as well as I can for the team, score runs, take catches, help out in leadership areas where I need to - it's been a good, fun couple of years." His remarks highlight not only his batting prowess but also his willingness to contribute in the field and as a senior voice within the squad. Beyond Test cricket, Smith is eager to extend his Twenty20 career and hopes to represent Australia at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, where cricket will make a return as a medal sport. He also shared his thoughts on the evolving nature of seam bowling, particularly the rise of the wobble‑seam delivery, which he believes is making life extremely challenging for batsmen.
"There are some balls now that are just unplayable. Some of these balls have your name on it and you can't do anything about it.
If it's seaming two degrees, you're not hitting that ball, or you shouldn't be hitting that ball. If you're hitting it, you're probably not a very good batter, to be honest. You're playing down the wrong line. And if it's coming into you, and it's hitting the top of the stumps and you're getting trapped in front, you can't do anything about it," he explained.
Smith's comments come at a time when England's recent 3‑0 home series win over Pakistan featured no specialist spinner; instead, part‑timer Dan Lawrence supplemented a four‑bowler attack comprising Ollie Robinson, Josh Tongue, Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson. For Australia, the selection of off‑spinner Nathan Lyon is no longer a given, especially on pitches that favour seam movement. Smith remarked, "When the ball's moving as much as it is, and you can create relentless pressure by bowlers just continually hitting the spot, spin's by far the easiest thing to face and the thing that you can score freely off. It's a shame that we've had such spicy wickets that it's got to that point, because I love playing a spinner.
I love watching spin bowlers bowl. I was a spin bowler myself back in the day.
I'd love to see spin play much more of a part in Test cricket again." Australia's next red‑ball assignment will be a three‑match series in South Africa beginning on October 9. This tour marks the first time the Australian side will face the Proteas away from home since the 2018 ball‑tampering scandal that resulted in bans for Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft.
The series will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, with all matches slated to start at 11 am UK and Ireland time. Looking ahead, Smith's future involvement in the Ashes will hinge on several factors: his physical condition as he approaches his late thirties, the form of emerging Australian batsmen, and the strategic direction the national selectors choose to adopt. While his personal desire to lift the Ashes trophy in England remains strong, he acknowledges that cricket careers are finite and that the decision will ultimately rest on whether he can continue to perform at the highest level when the time comes. If Smith does make the 2027 squad, his experience, technical skill, and leadership could prove invaluable, especially on the traditionally challenging English pitches that demand patience, technique, and mental resilience.
Conversely, if he opts to step aside, the Australian team will need to identify a successor capable of replicating his consistency and temperament. Either way, the conversation around Smith's potential participation adds an extra layer of intrigue to what is already one of cricket's most storied rivalries.