His last outing came in August.
Australia have numerous concerns in the top order ahead of Ashes 2025, so how Steve Smith performs will matter a lot for them. However, doubts linger around his form and rhythm since he has been out of action for a while, with his last outing coming in August in The Hundred 2025.
Since then, he has been in New York, enjoying his time away from the game on vacation, and returned to Sydney last week. Smith will captain Australia in the Ashes opener since their regular captain, Pat Cummins, is unlikely to get fit in time after suffering a back injury.
Speaking to reporters about his preparations for the marquee series, the 36-year-old exclaimed he just needs two hits to get going and declared himself ready to take on English bowlers. Smith revealed he completed his strength tests, and the results have been good, which makes him feel positive.
“Honestly, it takes me two hits to get sorted. I feel like I’m ready to go now. I feel like I’m moving really nicely. I feel in a good place. I’ve been training quite hard. I’ve been doing a lot of lifting, trying to get a bit stronger. And I did all my strength tests yesterday, and they’re all as good as they’ve ever been. So I feel like I’m going good.”
After returning to Sydney, Steve Smith had his first hit since The Hundred and is slowly amping up the preparations. He took part in three net sessions against throwdown specialists before facing the New South Wales attack at Cricket Central.
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Now he will play two Sheffield Shield fixtures against Queensland in Brisbane and Victoria in Sydney before the start of the Ashes 2025. These games will allow him to get into the red-ball groove and be part of real action, which remains crucial after such a long layoff.
Smith has retired from ODIs and is not in Australia’s T20I plans, making him a one-format specialist, with some franchise cricket here and there. So, it’s pivotal for him to get some matches under his belt before facing England’s high-class bowling attack on similar surfaces.
Smith’s form has marginally taken a hit in the longest format, but he has shown encouraging improvements this year after enduring a below-par 2024. This will be one of England’s most aggressive bowling attacks Down Under against a shaky Australian batting unit, and Smith must bring his best game and do the heavy lifting while batting at No.4.
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