Steve Smith, the seasoned Australian batsman, admitted that he "does not know" whether he will be part of the Australian side that travels to England for the 2027 Ashes. The former captain will be 38 years old just a few weeks before the opening Test at Trent Bridge in June, and the prospect of playing in an Ashes series on English soil for the last time in his career is both tantalising and uncertain. Smith has never lifted an Ashes trophy away from home, and the 2027 contest could be his final opportunity to achieve that elusive feat. In a recent interview with The Telegraph, he explained his mindset: "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 record in England speaks for itself.
Over 23 Tests on the island, Smith has amassed 2,334 runs at an impressive average of 54.27, including eight centuries and ten fifties. Even in recent seasons his numbers have remained strong.
In 2025 he averaged just over 50 across nine Tests, and in the current year, across three matches – one against England and two versus Bangladesh – he is sitting on a 61.40 average. When asked about his 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." Beyond his Test ambitions, Smith is also keen to extend his T20 career and hopes to represent Australia at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, where cricket will make its debut as a medal sport.
His perspective on the evolving nature of Test bowling was equally candid. He warned that bowlers who have mastered the wobble‑seam delivery are making life extremely difficult 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." The comment came in the context of England's recent 3‑0 home series win over Pakistan, where they relied heavily on a quartet of pace bowlers – Ollie Robinson, Josh Tongue, Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson – with only part‑time spinner Dan Lawrence providing occasional variation. By contrast, Australia's selection of off‑spinner Nathan Lyon has become less certain in conditions that favour seam, prompting Smith to voice his support for a greater role for spin in the longer format.
"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," Smith said. "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 major red‑ball assignment is a three‑match series against South Africa, scheduled to start on 9 October. This will be the first time the Australian side has toured the Proteas away from home since the fallout from the 2018 ball‑tampering scandal, which resulted in bans for Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft. The series will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, with all matches kicking off at 11 am UK and Irish time.
Looking ahead, Smith's uncertainty about the 2027 Ashes reflects a broader theme in modern cricket: the balancing act between longevity, form, and the desire to achieve career milestones. At 38, he remains one of the most technically proficient batsmen in the world, yet the physical demands of Test cricket, combined with the lure of limited‑overs formats and the historic significance of an Ashes win on English soil, create a complex decision matrix.
Whether he will don the baggy green for another English summer remains to be seen, but his continued passion for the game, his respect for spin bowling, and his ambition to add an Ashes triumph to his résumé suggest that he will keep fighting for a place as long as his body and performance allow.