Steve Smith Can't Play For Australia In T20 World Cup 2026 vs Zimbabwe, Here's Why

Steve Smith [Source: @TUnlimitedd/x]

Steve Smith is on his way to join the Australian squad in Sri Lanka this week for the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The legendary Australia batter was included in the national squad as one of the travelling reverses for the tournament.

It is worth noting that Steve Smith is yet to play a single T20I for Australia in nearly two years. The cricketer played the last of his 67 T20Is back in February 2024 during a three-match series in New Zealand.

With Australia starting off its T20 World Cup 2026 campaign on a strong note, here we determine if Steve Smith is eligible to play in their upcoming match against Zimbabwe or not.

Why Steve Smith will likely not play Zimbabwe match?

Steve Smith might well have to wait a little longer for making his T20I return for Australia. It remains a strong possibility that the 36-year-old will not be included in Australia’s playing XI for their upcoming match against Zimbabwe.

One of the primary reasons behind Steve’s impending snub is the fact that the cricketer has not been officially included in the 15-player Australia squad for the tournament yet. As of now, the modern-day batting behemoth is only named in Australia squad as one of the two travelling reserves alongside Sean Abbott.

Can Australia fast track Steve Smith into team?

Despite not being a part of the primary Australian squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, there is a slimmer of hope for Steve Smith to still play Australia’s upcoming match against Zimbabwe in Colombo. However, that decision entirely rests up to the Australian team management in Sri Lanka.

It is worth noting that Australia’s current 15-player squad is really just a 14-player group, considering Cricket Australia opted not to name a replacement for injured and ousted fast bowler Josh Hazlewood. 

With a spot still up for grabs, either Steve Smith, or even fellow travelling reserve Sean Abbott for instance, can still make it to the primary Australian squad depending upon the management’s requirement.

Injury concerns mount for Australia

With growing injury concerns in the Australian camp, the team management might well be forced to promote Steve Smith in the primary squad going ahead in the tournament.

The Australian team toured Sri Lanka without legendary fast bowlers Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, considering both senior pacemen were ruled out mere days prior to the launch of the showpiece event.

Hard-hitting batter Tim David will also be sporadically used by the team management this tournament, despite attaining full recovery from his injury.

To add to Australia’s woes, captain Mitchell Marsh missed their opening match against Ireland on February 11 as he is yet to fully recover from his testicle injury, prompting Travis Head to lead the side in his place.

The Australian team will now face Zimbabwe in match number 19 and their second Group B match of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The proceedings will be hosted by the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on February 13.