Ageing Australia Squad Looks Ahead to Ashes 2027, Smith Uncertain About Future

After winning the Ashes 2025, Australia is looking forward to the next series that will be played in England in 2027. The current group of players are excited to make a mark on that tour, however, some of them are also unsure whether they will still be active in international cricket by then.

The stand-in captain of Australia, Steve Smith, is one of those players who cannot confirm his participation for the 2027 series at this stage. He said that playing in that series is certainly his goal, but the final decision will be made based on his form and fitness at the time.

"I'm sure everyone's excited to go there and try and win the Ashes. It's something that I certainly haven't done in in my career, and something I'd like to tick off, whether I get there or not, it's a different question.” said Steve Smith while talking to the media.

Applauding the quality of the current squad, Smith said that Australia has a settled group for the last four or five years. He expects everyone to stick together, as winning the Ashes 2027 by getting better is the next objective.

“The squad we've had over the last four or five years has been amazing. So hopefully we can keep growing, getting better." said Australian captain, Steve Smith.

 

Applauding the Skills of Alex Carey

Smith then showered praise on Alex Carey, who performed tremendously well in the series. He said Carey’s wicketkeeping throughout the series was exceptional, as it helped keep the England batters in check.

"He was unbelievable with both bat and gloves, I think. Just the way he was able to go up to the stumps, in particular to the quicks. Those guys are bowling late 130s [kph] almost hitting 140s at times. And he's just taken them easy.” said Steve Smith.

He further said that Alex Carey works very hard in the nets to keep improving his wicketkeeping abilities. It was certainly heartening to see how he stood close to the wickets bravely throughout the series, helping the bowlers to keep things tight in the middle.

“He works incredibly hard on it. And against this opposition, we thought that was a real threat, being able to keep them stuck on their crease and not allow them to dance at our bowlers. And he just did that so well, and the guys bowling to it just reciprocated and put the ball in the right areas." added Steve Smith.

Smith Hails Mitchell Starc’s Quality

Speaking about Mitchell Starc’s class, Smith said he is an exceptional bowler who keeps getting better with each passing day.

"Mitchell Starc was sensational, and then supported by everyone that played. I think just recognizing [the key moments] and trying to play them in real time, not getting to a situation afterwards and saying, we should have done this, we should have done that, trusting what you're trying to do, and do it to the best of your ability out there.” said Steve Smith.

Smith then said that Australia took the advantage of home conditions to defeat England in the recent series. He added that the players in the team are performing well for a long period of time, and the depth in the squad is also very good.

"Particularly in our home conditions, we obviously know them really well. We've got a great squad of players that have been good for a long period of time, I think the last four or five years, making two Test championship finals, that probably backs that up.” said Steve Smith.

“We've just got a really good depth in our squad, and everyone that gets an opportunity takes it, and it's just been great to be a part of." added Steve Smith.