“I can still play T20 cricket in four years, so you never know,” he said. “It’s a format that I see myself playing probably longer than others, especially with franchises around the world. I signed here for three years so it’s still a year after that. to be part of the Olympics.”
But in terms of various international formats, it remains the status quo for Smith. “I don’t have any plans,” he said. “I’m enjoying playing at the moment, I’m relaxed and I’m looking forward to this summer.”
Most important to Smith is the upcoming international program. He will return to the ODIs in England next month (also left out of the T20Is) before the big event of India’s tour. Amid speculation over whether he will continue in Australia’s first Test, Smith is relishing the prospect of facing India in the five-match series.
It will be the first time these teams have faced each other in five Tests since 1991-92, although there have been no shortage of games in recent four-match series. Australia are aiming to bring back the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in a decade, having not beaten India since the 2014-15 series at home.
“You can’t hide in a 5-Test series like you can hide in a two-match series for example,” Smith said. “If somebody gets you the wood, it’s going to be hard to come back from that. It’s going to be a great series.
“We’re probably two of the best teams in Test cricket at the moment. We played in the World Test Championship final last year and we beat them there. They’ve been good here the last few times, they’ve played some really good cricket, hopefully we can turn the tables. It’s been ten years since we last won the Border-Gavaskar title so we have to do that this year.
“I’m happy to bat anywhere. Batting at 4, I can go in after the first two balls. I’ve been going in in the morning a lot of times and I’m facing a new ball.”
Smith in an interview about his hitting
If Australia maintain the batting style they have had since David Warner retired in January, Smith will be opening for the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj. Smith, who is on course to pass 10,000 runs this summer, was promoted when he told the selectors he wanted the role. It also allowed Cameron Green to return to a natural No.4 but the results were mixed for Smith in four Tests with 171 runs at 28.50 although that included an unbeaten 91 against the West Indies.
It is likely to be a dominant topic for the next few months as Smith will have some Sheffield Shield cricket ahead of the India series.
“The talks I’ve had so far are that we’re going to England… I’m there to get one day, and then I’ll make a decision after that,” he said. “There are conversations going on behind the scenes. You see other guys like Usman [Khawaja] you said you love me down in Number 4, think Marnus has the same thought pattern. We will wait and see. I’m happy to call anywhere.
“For me, it’s just the position. Batting at 4, I can be there after the first two balls. I’ve been coming in first many times and I’m facing the new ball. For me, it’s just a number. I’ve batted at three long-on again and we’ve lost wickets inside the first over and I’ll be out again. I got runs. The only real thing I had to get used to is how quickly it changes when you come out of the game and you only have ten minutes, especially with the amount of talking I have in the changing rooms.”
Andrew McGlashan is deputy editor at ESPNcricinfo
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