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August 20, 2024
Says he sees himself playing the T20 format longer than the other two
Steven Smith has not ruled out the possibility of pushing to represent Australia at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles with T20 likely to be a format he keeps playing longer than others although he has no retirement plans in his mind.
Smith has signed a new three-year deal with Sydney Sixers in the BBL, which means he will be playing professional cricket until at least 2026-27. But he would need to force his way back into Australia’s T20 set-up were he to be realistic about the Olympics the following year having been omitted for this year’s T20 World Cup.
“I could still be playing T20 cricket in four years, so you never know,” he said. “It’s a format I can see myself playing probably for a lot longer than some of the others, especially with the franchise stuff around the world. I’ve signed on here for three years so it’s only another year after that. It would be cool to be part of an Olympics.”
But as far as the various international formats go, it remains the status quo for Smith. “I don’t have any plans,” he said. “I’m just enjoying playing at the moment, I’m pretty relaxed and looking forward to this summer.”
Steve Smith’s immediate focus is on the upcoming international schedule. He will return to action in the ODI series in England next month, having been excluded from the T20I squad once again. The most anticipated challenge, however, is India’s tour of Australia. Despite ongoing speculation about his role as Australia’s Test opener, Smith is eager for the five-match Test series against India.
This series will be the first five-match Test encounter between the two teams since 1991-92. While recent four-match series have been full of drama, Australia is determined to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which they haven’t won since the 2014-15 series on home soil.
“You can’t really hide in a five-Test series like you probably can in a two-match series for instance,” Smith said. “If someone gets the wood on you, it can be hard coming back from that. It’s going to be a wonderful series.
“We are probably the two best teams at the moment in Test cricket. We played the World Test Championship final last year and beat them there. They’ve been great out here the last couple of times, they’ve played really good cricket, hopefully we can turn the tables. It’s been ten years since we last won the Border-Gavaskar trophy so need to do that this year.”
If Australia maintains the batting order they’ve used since David Warner’s retirement in January, Steve Smith will be opening the innings against top Indian bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammed Siraj. Smith, who could surpass 10,000 Test runs this summer, was promoted to opener after expressing his interest to the selectors. This change also allowed Cameron Green to bat at a more comfortable No. 4 position. However, Smith’s performance as an opener was mixed, scoring 171 runs at an average of 28.50 across four Tests, though he did play a brilliant unbeaten 91 against the West Indies.
The decision about Smith’s position is likely to be a hot topic in the coming months, especially as he is expected to play some Sheffield Shield matches before the India series.
“The conversations I’ve had so far is that we’ll go to England… I’m there for the one-dayers, then make a decision after that,” he said. “There’s conversations happening in the background. You see some comments that guys like Usman [Khawaja] has said he likes me down at No. 4, think Marnus is of a similar thought pattern. We’ll wait and see. I’m happy to bat anywhere.”
“For me, it’s just a position. Batting at four, I could be in after the first two balls. I’ve been in early on many occasions and faced the new ball. For me, it’s kind of just a number. I batted at three for a long period of time as well and we lost wickets inside the first over and I’ll come out and score runs. The only real thing I had to get used to was how quick a turnaround it is when you come off the field and you only have ten minutes, particularly with the amount of mucking around I have in the changing rooms.”
Both teams are currently in the lower half of the World Test Championship points table, so a loss would be particularly damaging for their chances.
Pakistan are currently two spots ahead of Bangladesh in the World Test Championship standings, but both teams remain in the lower half of the table. This Test series marks their first since the T20 World Cup, where Bangladesh were eliminated in the Super Eight, and Pakistan failed to reach that stage, leaving fans disappointed. With a significant break since the World Cup, both teams have the opportunity to approach this series with a fresh mindset.
Pakistan enters the series as clear favorites, led by captain Shan Masood and supported by new red-ball coach Jason Gillespie. Their recent experiences in county cricket could provide the stability needed to strengthen Pakistan’s Test performance.
Apart from Aamer Jamal, Pakistan has all their first-choice players available for the Test, and they even announced their XI two days in advance. They’ve opted for an all-pace attack on the Rawalpindi pitch, and Saim Ayub has been given another opportunity as an opener.
Bangladesh, on the other hand, faced a different challenge in their preparation. Unable to train in Dhaka, they accepted the PCB’s invitation to train for three extra days in Lahore before having three more sessions in Rawalpindi. While coach Chandika Hathurusinghe is pleased with the team’s preparation, he’s cautious about their batting, which has been struggling over the past year.
Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto has been out of form recently, and Litton Das, whom Masood regards as his favorite Bangladesh batter, has also struggled for a while. This puts added pressure on senior players like Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, and Mominul Haque to lead the batting.
Despite this, Pakistan won’t underestimate Bangladesh. The visitors’ pace attack, though relatively inexperienced, has been impressive. Bowlers like Khaled Ahmed and Shoriful Islam have performed well with the new ball, while Hasan Mahmud and Nahid Rana bring speed and energy. This makes the upcoming battle between Bangladesh’s pace bowlers and Pakistan’s batsmen particularly intriguing.
Pakistan LLLWW (last five Tests, most recent first)
Bangladesh LLLWW
Recent observers of Naseem Shah in the four-day match against Bangladesh A noted that he is regaining his form as a red-ball bowler, similar to his performance from July 2023. He took three wickets in the first innings, including Mominul Haque and Anamul Haque, and bowled seven consecutive overs in the second innings. This was his only first-class match in the past year, but Bangladesh is wary of his threat. On their last tour to Pakistan, he made a significant impact with a hat-trick on his debut.
In 2023, Najmul Hossain Shanto scored 440 runs in Test cricket, including three centuries, with an average of 55.00. However, he struggled against Sri Lanka earlier this year, managing only 32 runs in four innings. He has also faced challenges in other formats. As captain, he faces added pressure, and his tendency to play deliveries outside his body is a key concern. The question now is whether he can show greater discipline and deliver crucial runs for Bangladesh at the top of the order.
Pakistan will field four fast bowlers in their lineup. Saud Shakeel has been appointed as the vice-captain.
Pakistan’s lineup is as follows:
Shadman Islam is expected to replace the injured opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy. Additionally, Mushfiqur Rahim returns to the Test side after missing the series against Sri Lanka.
Bangladesh’s probable lineup is:
The pitch has some grass, but it’s expected to favor batters. In the last two Tests at this venue, teams have scored high, with totals of 657, 579, 476 for 4 declared, and 459 in their first innings. However, rain might impact the match, as showers are expected throughout all five days.
Bangladesh have never won a Test match against Pakistan. Four players from the current Bangladesh squad played in their last Test against Pakistan, which was also held in Rawalpindi in 2020. Among the current players, Shakib Al Hasan has scored the most runs in Bangladesh-Pakistan Test matches, with 508 runs. Taijul Islam, who is unlikely to play, has taken the most wickets in these encounters, with 22.
“We raise our hands to say that we didn’t win in Australia. But we did a lot of things right, a lot of things that we want to take forward with us. We made some mistakes that cost us the Melbourne and Sydney Tests but as a team, we are heading in the right direction.”
Shan Masood on bouncing back against Bangladesh.
“We had a good series against New Zealand but not a good time against Sri Lanka. We have a very good opportunity this time playing against Pakistan. We have a balanced side. We hope to play good cricket here.”
Katarzyna Nowak is a seasoned writer with over five years of experience in editorial content, news reporting, and cricket sportsbook app reviews. As an author for IPLWin365 (IPL365 News), she combines her deep understanding of the sports betting industry with a passion for cricket, delivering insightful and accurate content that keeps readers informed and engaged.
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