Steve Smith. (Picture Credit: AFP)
Cricket is all set to make its long-awaited comeback in the Olympics after 128 years during the 2028 edition of the games, which are scheduled to take place in Los Angeles.
Former Australian skipper Steve Smith has expressed his desire to play for Australia in the 2028 LA Olympics, when cricket will make its comeback to the multi-sporting event after more than 100 years. According to Smith, who has played in 67 T20Is for Australia so far since making his debut in Melbourne on February 5, 2010, against Pakistan, it would be cool for him to be part of the Olympics.
“I could still be playing T20 cricket in four years, so you never know. It’s a format I can see myself playing probably for a lot longer than some of the others, especially with the franchise stuff around the world. I’ve signed on here (Big Bash) for three years, so it’s only another year after that. It would be cool to be part of the Olympics,” Smith said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.
Smith, who has 1094 runs to his name in the shortest format of the game, was part of the Aaron Finch-led Australian team that won the T20 World Cup in 2021. But the 35-year-old was ignored by Cricket Australia selectors for the T20 World Cup 2024, which was played in the West Indies and USA from June 1 to 29 earlier this year.
After getting ignored for the T20 World Cup 2024, Smith played for the Washington Freedom in the second edition of the Major League Cricket (MLC) and scored 336 runs in nine matches to finish as the joint-second-leading run scorer in the tournament.
Smith’s announcement to play for Australia in the Olympics comes a couple of days after Australia’s Test, and ODI captain Pat Cummins said that he wants to play for the Aussies in the LA games and win a gold medal.
“Watching the Olympics got us all excited. You want to be part of it right there in the middle,” Cummins was quoted as saying by Fox Sports. “I’d love to be on that side (at LA28). I think I’ll be 35 or something, so hopefully still there or thereabouts.”
“Honestly, right now, it feels a long way away. Maybe once we get closer and start building into it, everyone gets a bit more excited,” he added.