Sydney [Australia], January 8 : Steve Smith is unsure whether he will play in the Ashes 2027 series in England, as he will be 38 years old by the time it starts. He added that an ageing Australian group is excited to play in that series.
The Baggy Green wrapped up the Ashes 4-1 after they registered a comfortable five-wicket win in the fifth and final Test against the Ben Stokes-led England at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney on Thursday.
Mitchell Starc, the highest-wicket taker of the series, was named Player of the Series, whereas opener Travis Head was adjudged Player of the Match for his sublime 163-run knock in the first innings.
The hosts clinched victories in Perth, Brisbane, and Adelaide before the Three Lions bounced back and registered a memorable win in Melbourne. Notably, Smith was the stand-in captain for Australia in the absence of regular skipper Pat Cummins, who just played the Adelaide match. Smith, on the other hand, missed the third Test in Adelaide due to illness.
Smith finished as the fourth-highest run-getter in the Ashes series. The ace batter made 286 runs in four matches and eight innings at a superb average of 57.20. The right-handed batter notched up one fifty and as many centuries.
Smith was asked how keen the rest of the Australian group were to try and win in England in 2027. The stand-in captain replied that it's something he would love to achieve, but was unsure whether he would get there.
"I'm sure everyone's excited to go there and try and win the Ashes," Smith told Fox Cricket, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
"It's something that I certainly haven't done in my career, and something I'd like to tick off, whether I get there or not, it's a different question. The squad we've had over the last four or five years has been amazing. So hopefully we can keep growing, getting better."
Smith hailed Alex Carey's all-round performance with the bat and while doing wicketkeeping throughout the series. He added that Carey's vital role helped Scott Boland and Michael Neser in supporting Mitchell Starc.
"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. 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," Smith said.
Mitchell Starc, who was named Player of the Series, scalped 31 wickets in 10 innings at a superb average of 19.93, along with two five-wicket hauls. Starc, who finished as the highest wicket-taker, played a crucial role in Australia's 4-1 Ashes victory over England.
Starc took the responsibility in the absence of veteran pacers Pat Cummins, who played the Adelaide Test and Josh Hazlewood, who was ruled out due to injury. Apart from bowling, Starc notched up 156 runs with the bat, along with two half-centuries.
Head, who was the highest run-getter with over 600 runs, was named Player of the Match after scoring a sublime 163 runs in the first innings of the fifth Test. However, Smith was full of praise for the contributions of the two senior Australian cricketers (Starc and Head).
"Mitchell Starc was sensational, and then supported by everyone who played. I think just recognising [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," Smith said.
"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, which probably backs that up. 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," he added.