After CT exit, Smith retires from ODIs
new delhi: Australian legend Steve Smith has retired from ODIs, something which should not surprise the cricketing fraternity. After all, men from Down Under take decisions from the head and not the heart. A day after the Aussies lost to the Men in Blue in the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy in Dubai, Smith said in a statement on Wednesday that he was done with the ODIs. He is making himself available for Tests, since the Aussies will be facing South Africa in the World Test Championship (WTC) final later this year. He has also said yes to the T20Is, perhaps hopeful of making it to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics team. T20 cricket will be making its return in the Olympics and Smith would love to be part of it.
In Australia, there is no superstar culture, really. Cricketers are just normal athletes and they believe they have to deliver and be relevant. As a member of two Aussie teams which won the ODI World Cup, Smith still has a lot of cricket left in him. It is now up to the Australian cricket board if they want him or not. This is the way it should be for a player in a team sport. Keep performing and be ready to play for the country if there is selection. Call it sincerity, this is the way Aussie cricket works.
Sample this: Pat Cummins, the legendary Aussie skipper was out for the Champions Trophy with an injury. He rested, underwent rehab and should be back for the IPL 2025. More importantly, he will also look to lead Australia in the WTC final. Incidentally, Cummins is the only foreign captain among the 10 franchises in the IPL this year. There is a lot to learn from the way Smith walks away from one format of cricket. At the same time, he has not shut himself out totally. In many ways, Indians can learn a lot from this as well. Retirement in Indian cricket is a very touchy topic. Most cricketers have stretched their careers late, some even wanting to play when not fully fit. This holds true for even two legends of Indian cricket -- Kapil Dev and Sachin Tendulkar. Kapil’s knees had given away and in the last set of matches he played, he was hobbling to bowl and was eventually dropped. In India, cricketers feel retirement is like some curse or being banished. To walk into sunset with grace is more important than being asked to go.
As for Sachin Tendulkar, he was blessed to have pushed his career deep and even wangle himself a two-Test series against West Indies in 2013. That was the aura of Sachin and how much respect the BCCI accorded him. How is all this relevant now? Well, sooner or later, questions will be asked how long Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli can extend their careers. After the win against the Aussies, coach Gautam Gambhir spoke in favour of Rohit and Kohli. It is good the coach made a few things clear, most important being how Rohit still sends massive positive vibes into the Indian dressing room.
