'Could Be My Last,' Steve Smith Hints at His Retirement Plans

image-lh7hbk4cSmith was class apart on his last tour to England (Twitter)

The former Australian Test Captain Steve Smith has arrived in England to prepare for the upcoming Ashes series and WTC Final, at the Kennington Oval Stadium in London. The 34-year-old has initiated his maiden county stint with Sussex and will be in action for three County Championship Matches. 

Smith turned down the lucrative IPL contract to focus on the longer format of the game. He believes that his exposure to County matches will allow him to play with a positive frame of mind in the much-awaited WTC final and the Ashes series following the ICC event. 

He further reveals that winning a Test series in England would certainly be a "bucket list" achievement for him and something that he aspires to do in his lifetime.  

"It would be a huge one to tick off the bucket list I suppose. We haven’t been able to do it, but we got close last time and were unable to get over the line."

However, in his subsequent conversation with Sussex’s Hove headquarters, Smith made a startling revelation about his future participation in the upcoming Ashes fixture in England indicating that it may be his last one. The star batter senses that age may not be on his side by the time he returns for the next Ashes series. 

"Could this be my last? Potentially. I mean, I’m 34 in just under a month. I’m not sure I’ll be back. We’ll see."

This will be Smith's fourth tour to England. In the prior Ashes series, Smith made a memorable comeback to Test cricket after his year long-ban for his alleged role in ball tampering. He ended his tour on a high amassing 774 runs at a staggering average of 110.54. 

As Smith approaches the fag end of his career, this upcoming Ashes tour will be of great significance to him.