![Steve Smith on T20 comeback for Australia [Source: @shaibal_27/X.com]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1768879087352_SteveSmithonT20WorldCupplansforAustralia.jpg?type=hq)
Steve Smith on T20 comeback for Australia [Source: @shaibal_27/X.com]
Steve Smith has never hidden his love for the game, but the Australian great now appears realistic about where he stands in the country’s T20 plans.
After a strong start to BBL 2025-26 for the Sydney Sixers, Smith admitted that while he would still love to play major T20 tournaments for Australia, those opportunities may no longer come his way.
Instead, the veteran batter has shifted his focus toward enjoying his cricket, performing consistently, and keeping one long-term goal firmly in mind, which is the Los Angeles Olympics 2028.
The T20 World Cup ship has sailed for Steve Smith
Steve Smith, who last played a T20I for Australia in February 2024, acknowledged that the current team setup makes his return to major tournaments difficult.
Australia’s top order, particularly at the opening spots, has been settled, leaving little room for change.
"I always want to play for Australia in big tournaments. But I think that ship's sailed. I reckon they've got two opening batters that are doing pretty well. I'm relaxed, doing what I can here and having some fun," Smith told ESPN Cricinfo.
Despite this, Smith stressed that his motivation remains strong. He is no longer chasing selection anxiously but instead focusing on playing his natural game and contributing wherever possible.
For Steve Smith, enjoying cricket again has become just as important as the destination.
LA Olympics still an open door for Smith
While Smith accepts that the door may be closing on traditional T20 tournaments, he sees the Olympics as a fresh and exciting target. Cricket’s return to the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028 has given him a new source of motivation.
"My main goal, as I've said before, is to get in the team when the Olympics is rolling around. I'd be keen to do that. That'd be pretty cool. Keep doing what I'm doing and you never know. I've played some different roles. A lot of the time when I was playing, I was the guy that had to stick it together in the middle. If there were a couple of early wickets I'd have to be the one to rebuild," he added.
Steve Smith has reinvented himself as a T20 opener in recent years, particularly in franchise cricket. Opening the batting, he explained, allows him to play with freedom rather than rebuilding an innings after early wickets, as he often did in the middle order.
"I wasn't always the go out and play freely kind of player. It was a different kind of role. Since opening the batting, it gives me an opportunity to just be free from ball one, see it as I see it and take it on and have some fun out there."
George Bailey opens up on Smith’s future in T20s
Amid this, Australian men’s selector George Bailey made it clear that Steve Smith has not been ruled out of T20I contention.
"It's a great problem to have, isn't it? He's playing incredibly well, as he has done in the BBL for the last couple of years, in a position that we've got really good coverage in. But if there were moving parts and something was required around there, no doubt his name would be in the mix," Bailey told ESPN Cricinfo.
While Australia have already named a provisional squad for the T20 World Cup 2026, Bailey said Smith’s strong BBL form keeps him relevant.
"I'd hate to put a line through saying that Steve couldn't bat anywhere else, because I think he's proven us wrong, or he's proved his ability to be able to do that on a number of occasions. Certainly, his most recent ones have been. He's played a lot of international T20 cricket. Clearly, when he goes back to the Big Bash, he is a level above," he added.
While selection may depend on circumstances, Smith’s experience and form ensure he remains part of the conversation even as he looks ahead to one final dream on the Olympic stage.
