Steve Smith has announced his retirement from One-Day International cricket following Australia’s four-wicket loss to India in the Champions Trophy semi-final in Dubai. He will continue to play Test cricket and T20 Internationals, with a possible eye on participating in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics where T20 cricket will debut.
Smith informed his teammates about his decision after the semi-final defeat. The 35-year-old made this announcement following the team’s exit from the Champions Trophy.
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“It has been a great ride and I have loved every minute of it,” Smith said in a release on Wednesday. “There have been so many amazing times and wonderful memories. Winning two World Cups was a great highlight along with the many fantastic teammates who shared the journey. Now is a great opportunity for people to start preparing for the 2027 ODI World Cup so it feels like the right time to make way. Test cricket remains a priority and I am really looking forward to the World Test Championship final, the West Indies in the winter and then England at home. I feel I still have a lot to contribute on that stage.”
Smith concludes his ODI career with 170 appearances, ranking as Australia’s 16th-most capped men’s player in the 50-over format and the 12th highest run-scorer. He captained Australia in 64 one-day matches, achieving a 50 percent winning rate.
His captaincy highlights include series victories against England and India in his first year as full-time skipper, securing the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy, and winning a tri-series against South Africa and West Indies in the Caribbean in 2016. Recently, he led Australia to a 3-0 sweep against the West Indies during the 2023-24 home summer.
Smith’s final ODI statistics show 5800 runs at an average of 43.28 and a strike rate of 86.96, including 12 centuries and 35 fifties. His highest score was 164 against New Zealand at the SCG in 2016.
Among Australian ODI run-scorers, only David Warner and Adam Gilchrist maintained higher strike rates than Smith. He played crucial roles in Australia’s World Cup victories in 2015 and 2023, including hitting the winning runs in the 2015 final against New Zealand.
Smith’s performance in ICC events was notable, with his final ODI innings being a top-scoring 73 runs against India. He holds the record for most World Cup half-centuries by an Australian with 10 fifties.
His fielding contributions include 90 catches at 0.53 per innings, with only Glenn Maxwell and Mike Hussey having better ratios among Australian players with 70 or more catches.
Smith’s retirement marks the beginning of a significant transition in Australia’s ODI team ahead of the 2027 World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. Several key players were absent from the recent Champions Trophy semi-final, including Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Marsh, and Mitchell Starc.
National Selection Panel chair George Bailey said: “We fully understand and support Steve’s decision to retire from One-Day International cricket. Steve has said on many occasions he is approaching the remainder of his playing career on a series-by-series basis, a position which hasn’t changed and one Cricket Australia supports. His record as a batter across 170 games is exemplary and to leave the format as a two-time World Cup winner cements his legacy as one of the great Australian ODI players. From an NSP standpoint, Steve remains fully committed to Test cricket and is an integral member of and leader within that team.”
Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg stated: “Congratulations to Steve on an amazing One-Day International career during which he has made a vast contribution to Australia’s performances in the 50-over format. Right up until his final ODI innings Steve exhibited an incredible ability to accumulate runs in all conditions and his astute leadership has been crucial in the team’s ongoing success including the 2015 and 2023 ICC World Cup victories. We’re fortunate Steve still has much to offer in the Test and T20 arenas and I look forward to witnessing the next stage of one of cricket’s great careers.”