Despite being overlooked for the upcoming T20 World Cup, Steve Smith is making an emphatic statement in domestic cricket, with his sights set on a larger prize: the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
The veteran batsman, once considered a misfit in the fast-paced Twenty20 format, is currently the standout performer of Australia’s Big Bash League. His latest innings—a commanding 65 from 43 balls—propelled the Sydney Sixers into the tournament final. This knock is part of a remarkable post-Ashes purple patch that has seen him amass 275 runs at an average of 68, including a blistering century scored from just 41 deliveries.
This surge in form has inevitably sparked debate among fans about his exclusion from the national T20 squad, selected weeks ago for the World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. However, selectors appear unmoved, judging Smith’s explosive Big Bash performances against domestic attacks as insufficient to displace the established top order of Travis Head, David Warner, and Mitchell Marsh, or the powerful middle-order hitters like Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis.
Smith’s relationship with the shortest format has been complex. While he debuted for Australia in T20 cricket back in 2010, he never consistently dominated it in the way he has Test cricket. A brief recall in early 2024, where he experimented as an opener, yielded little success, seemingly cementing his international T20 exit.
Yet, the 34-year-old has engineered a stunning reversal. Following a period of declining Test returns, he has struck five centuries in his last 12 matches in the longest format, a rejuvenation that now appears to be spilling into his white-ball game. He has retired from one-day internationals to focus solely on T20 cricket, undertaking specific training to increase his power-hitting capacity.
His motivation extends beyond reclaiming a national spot. Smith has publicly targeted a place in the Australian squad for cricket’s debut at the 2028 Olympics, a unique medal opportunity absent from his storied career. To achieve that, he plans to remain active in global T20 leagues, including the USA’s Major League Cricket and England’s The Hundred, to refine his game against world-class bowling.
For now, his immediate focus is on the Big Bash final. A match-winning performance on the road against the Perth Scorchers would serve as a powerful final argument in a compelling summer. While the World Cup door seems closed, Steve Smith’s late-career T20 revival is very much alive, driven by the distant gleam of Olympic gold.