Steve Smith, the veteran Australian batsman, admitted that he "does not know" whether he will be part of the Australian squad for the 2027 Ashes in England. 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 series on English soil is especially tantalising because he has never lifted the urn abroad.

If he does get selected, 2027 could well be his final opportunity to achieve that elusive feat. In an interview with The Telegraph, Smith explained his uncertainty in a measured, series‑by‑series fashion. "I don't even know if I'll be there yet," he said. "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 reflect a pragmatic approach to the twilight years of a long career, where selection decisions are increasingly weighed against fitness, form, and the team's strategic needs. Smith's record in England speaks for itself. Over 23 Tests on English pitches he has amassed 2,334 runs at an impressive average of 54.27, including eight centuries and ten fifties.

Those numbers underline his ability to negotiate the swinging and seaming conditions that traditionally challenge even the best of batsmen. In the 2025 season, across nine Tests, he averaged just over 50, and in the current year he has continued to thrive, scoring 61.40 in three matches – one against England and two versus Bangladesh. When asked about his recent form, Smith was upbeat. "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 personal performance but also his broader role within the side, encompassing fielding, mentorship, and occasional captaincy duties. Beyond Test cricket, Smith is eager to extend his T20 career and has set his sights on representing Australia at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where cricket will make its debut as a medal sport.

This ambition illustrates his desire to stay relevant across formats and to experience new challenges as his Test career winds down. Smith also weighed in on a technical trend that is reshaping the modern game: the rise of the wobble‑seam delivery. He warned that some of these balls are "just unplayable" and that batters who attempt to play them risk exposing technical flaws.

"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 discussion of seam versus spin is especially relevant given recent English selections. England opted not to field a specialist spinner in their 3‑0 home series win over Pakistan, relying instead on part‑time off‑spinner Dan Lawrence and a quartet of pace bowlers – Ollie Robinson, Josh Tongue, Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson. In contrast, Australia’s spin option, Nathan Lyon, is no longer a guaranteed pick, particularly on pitches that favour seam movement. Smith expressed a clear preference for more spin in Test cricket.

"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," he said. Looking ahead, Australia's next major red‑ball assignment is a three‑match series in South Africa, scheduled to begin on October 9.

This will be the first time the Australian side has toured South Africa since the 2018 ball‑tampering scandal, which resulted in bans for Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft. The upcoming series will provide Smith with another platform to showcase his adaptability on foreign wickets and to add to his already impressive overseas statistics. All of the South Africa matches will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, with kick‑off at 11 a.m.

UK and Ireland time, allowing fans across the region to follow the action. Whether Smith ultimately makes the 2027 Ashes squad or not, his candid reflections on form, fitness, and the evolving nature of Test cricket offer valuable insight into the mindset of a player navigating the final chapters of an illustrious career.