Ashes 2025: Steve Smith’s reveals his future plans – ‘Test cricket is…’ | Cricket News
Steve Smith, who will lead Australia in the opening Ashes Test against England starting November 21 in Perth, revealed that focusing solely on Test cricket has helped him stay mentally fresh throughout the season. The 36-year-old, who has retired from ODIs, will captain the side as regular skipper Pat Cummins recovers from a lower back injury.Smith, who now resides in New York during the Australian winter, had not picked up a bat since August before returning to training.“I certainly get drained mentally quicker than I’ve probably used to,” Smith told reporters after his first training session.
“Ten years ago, I loved to come back and play every single game that I could. Now obviously my Test cricket has taken a huge priority.”Smith noted that his new approach to prioritizing formats has yielded positive results, as evidenced by his two centuries during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy last season.“Last year, I was probably batting my best at the back end of the summer against India, coming off not too much cricket at the start. Honestly, it takes me two hits to get sorted. I feel like I’m ready to go now,” Smith said.The former full-time captain emphasized the importance of mental freshness over extensive practice sessions, particularly as he has aged.“There’s obviously a balance, but I don’t think it takes me much now to get up to game speed and I want to try and stay as mentally fresh. Technically, I feel in a good place, it’s about being mentally fresh. I’m not hitting as many balls as I used to,” Smith explained.
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“It’s to try and get the most out of myself mentally when I’m out in the middle and be able to concentrate for long periods of time.”Smith acknowledged that his current role as stand-in captain feels less demanding compared to his tenure as full-time captain between 2013-2017.“It’s interesting how the brain works. I feel like I kind of go to another level and try to set a standard, I suppose,” he said.While discussions about his future cricket plans, including participation in the 2027 Ashes in England, remain premature, Smith continues to adapt his approach to maintain peak performance in Test cricket.
