{
  "id": 7384123,
  "title": "'I don’t even know if I’ll be there': ICC Test No.2 Steve Smith uncertain over Ashes 2027 in England",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/i-dont-even-know-if-ill-be-there-icc-test-no-2-steve-smith-uncertain",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-14T19:33:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/don-t-even-know-ll-193300424.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Australian Test batsman Steve Smith has expressed uncertainty about his participation in the 2027 Ashes series in England, raising questions about his future in Test cricket. The 37-year-old, who has scored 37 centuries in 125 Tests, remains open about his retirement decision, stating that he evaluates his motivation and energy after each series. Smith, currently ranked second among men's Test batters, admitted that winning an Ashes series in England is a goal but not a deciding factor for his participation in 2027. Instead, his primary ambition at this stage is to represent Australia in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where cricket will return in the T20 format. Smith is currently playing for the Amsterdam Flames in the European T20 Premier League, aiming to gain more T20 experience before the Olympics.",
  "summary": "Steve Smith has voiced hesitation about his involvement in the 2027 Ashes series as he evaluates his Test career after each series. Although winning an Ashes series in England is a significant goal for him, his main focus is now on competing for Australia at the 2028 Olympics. To achieve this, Smith is engaging actively in T20 cricket to hone his skills.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "IOL",
        "title": "EXCLUSIVE: Cricket’s greatest rivalry? Graeme Smith previews Australia series",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/exclusive-crickets-greatest-rivalry-graeme-smith-previews-australia",
        "published": "2026-09-14T11:27:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "'Just another series': Steve Smith reacts to returning to South Africa for a Test series for the first time since 'Sandpapergate'",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/just-another-series-steve-smith-reacts-to-returning-to-south-africa",
        "published": "2026-09-14T14:17:50.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}