I might miss the T20 World Cup in favor of The Ashes: Steve Smith

Australia’s star batsman Steve Smith is likely to miss the forthcoming ICC T20 World Cup in order to prepare for The Ashes. Steve Smith is ready to give the showpiece event a miss in order to be better prepared for the upcoming Ashes against England. 

Steve Smith has scored a staggering 1,969 runs at 93.76 in 14 matches across the past three series. This also includes eight centuries. The nearest to that is England captain Joe Root. He has scored 1,163 runs in 15 matches. Root is just 806 runs behind Steve Smith.

I want to put myself in a position where I can have that kind of impact: Steve Smith

Steve Smith was last seen in action in the first phase of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. The tournament had to be called off due to the Covid-19 outbreak within the camp. Smith managed to play a few matches for the Delhi Capitals. The batsman scored 104 runs at a strike rate of 111.82. It is known that the Aussie has been struggling with an elbow problem for quite some time. Moreover, the 32-year-old had to eat painkillers every time he came out to bat. The Delhi Capitals are likely to miss the services of Steve Smith when the tournament resumes in the UAE in September. 

Talking about his Test career, the number two Test batsman was at his best during the 2019 Ashes. He had amassed 774 runs at an astounding average of 110.57. This also includes three centuries and as many fifties. It underlines how important he will be for Australia over the five-Test series that will get started on December 8 in Brisbane. 

Meanwhile, the Australian cricket team will be traveling to the Caribbean to play the limited-overs series. The Aaron Finch-led team is scheduled to play five T20Is against the West Indies team led by Kieron Pollard. The two sides will also face each other in a three-ODI series on the tour. Post that, they will head to Bangladesh for a five-match T20 International series.

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