Australia’s Steve Smith has declared his retirement from One Day Internationals, marking the end of a distinguished career in 50-over cricket.
New Delhi: Numerous cricketing personalities from Australia and around the globe have extended their congratulations to prominent Australian batsman Steve Smith following his announcement of retirement from One Day Internationals (ODIs), marking the end of a distinguished career in 50-over cricket. Although he is stepping away from ODIs, the 35-year-old will still be available to play for Australia in Test matches and T20 Internationals. His choice to continue in the shorter format may be influenced by the prospect of participating in the T20 World Cup in 2026 and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where cricket will be featured in the T20I format.
Following Steve’s announcement of his retirement, several of his Australian teammates, such as opener Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, former opener David Warner, ex-all-rounder Shane Watson, and India’s World Cup-winning all-rounder Yuvraj Singh, praised Smith’s impact on the game and his achievements that distinguish him as one of the contemporary legends in One Day Internationals.
Warner expressed on Instagram that Smith is the “best player I’ve played alongside.” He also posted several photos featuring Smith captured during significant events in their careers while representing Australia and New South Wales (NSW).
“Congrats mate on an unbelievable one day career. Blues to Australia, loved being alongside you. You’ve served the country unbelievably well and hopefully this decision prolongs you to keep going in the test arena. Best player I’ve played alongside in my career. #Goat #legend #cricket,” posted Warner.
Watson, who played alongside Smith during the early stages of his career as a leg-spinning all-rounder, reflected on Smith’s evolution into a top-tier batsman. He shared a post on Instagram praising Smith’s achievements and expressed his gratitude for the memorable moments they shared, including the time Smith scored the winning runs in the 2015 50-over World Cup final held in Australia while Watson was present on the field.
The all-rounder praised Smith’s performances, highlighting his 65 runs against Pakistan in the quarterfinal and 105 runs against India in the semifinal of the tournament as “two Standout innings” in Smith’s ODI career.
“@steve_smith49 congratulations on an incredible ODI career. You and your family should be unbelievably proud of all that you achieved. I feel very fortunate to have had so many special memories on the field together, the most special was being out in the middle when you hit the winning runs in the 2015 World Cup final.
Steve, I still remember the young lad who walked into the Pune Warriors camp back in 2012—hungry to learn, eager to prove himself.
Watching you grow from strength to strength, shaping yourself into one of the greats of the game, has been nothing short of incredible.
From those… pic.twitter.com/1a2FVLUWDo
— Yuvraj Singh (@YUVSTRONG12) March 5, 2025
In a letter to Smith, Watson reflected on two memorable innings he experienced alongside him. The first was Smith’s 65 runs against Pakistan in the 2015 World Cup Quarter-final, where Watson noted that he was facing intense bowling from Wahab Riaz, while Smith handled it with remarkable ease. The second was Smith’s impressive 105 runs in the 2015 World Cup Semi-Final against India at the SCG, which Watson described as a display of pure class under significant pressure, making it seem effortless. Watson concluded by congratulating Smith on his achievements.
