Steve Smith, the veteran Australian batsman, admitted that he is unsure whether he will be part of the Australian side that travels to England for the 2027 Ashes series. The former captain will be 38 years old just weeks before the opening Test at Trent Bridge in June, and the prospect of playing another Ashes in England could well be his final opportunity to win the trophy on foreign soil. In an interview with The Telegraph, Smith explained his approach to selection, saying, "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." Smith’s statistics in England underline why the idea of a final Ashes triumph is so tempting. Across 23 Tests on English pitches he has amassed 2,334 runs at an impressive average of 54.27, including eight centuries and ten fifties.
His recent form has been equally strong: he averaged just over 50 in his nine Tests in 2025, and in the three Tests he has played so far this year—one against England and two against Bangladesh—he is sitting on a 61.40 average. "I feel I'm batting really nicely," Smith said. "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." Beyond the Ashes, Smith is also looking ahead to extending his Twenty‑20 career and hopes to represent Australia at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, where cricket will make a return to the Olympic programme. He also weighed in on a technical trend that is reshaping the modern Test game: the rise of the wobble‑seam delivery.
"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. The wobble‑seam, a delivery that subtly deviates off the seam without the usual swing, has left many top‑order batsmen uncomfortable, and Smith’s comments highlight how bowlers are continually innovating to gain an edge. He also observed that England’s recent 3‑0 home series win over Pakistan was achieved without a specialist spinner, relying instead on part‑timer Dan Lawrence and a quartet of pacemen—Ollie Robinson, Josh Tongue, Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson.
For Australia, the role of spin is similarly in flux. Nathan Lyon, the veteran off‑spinner, is no longer an automatic selection in conditions that favour seam movement. Smith noted, "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." His remarks underscore a broader debate within the cricketing community about the balance between pace and spin in the longest format, especially on pitches that have become increasingly conducive to seam and swing. Looking ahead, Australia’s next major red‑ball assignment is a three‑match series in South Africa starting on October 9. This will be the first time the Australian side has toured South Africa since the infamous ball‑tampering scandal of 2018, which resulted in bans for Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft.
The South African series will provide a valuable opportunity for Smith to assess his own form and fitness ahead of any potential Ashes selection discussions. All three Tests will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, with 11 am start times in the UK and Ireland, ensuring that fans can follow the action closely. In summary, while Smith’s desire to add an English Ashes victory to his résumé is evident, his age, the evolving nature of modern Test bowling, and the strategic considerations of the Australian selectors mean that his participation in the 2027 series remains an open question.
As he continues to perform strongly in the current season and looks forward to upcoming challenges in South Africa, the cricketing world will be watching closely to see whether the veteran will once again don the baggy green for what could be his final Ashes campaign.