Smith vows to play on as Khawaja warns of looming 'transition'

Steve Smith has put his hand up to shepherd the Test team through its a looming transition phase with Australia's fill-in skipper stressing he has no plans to join his long-time teammate Usman Khawaja by bowing out in Sydney.

Ahead of his farewell Test against England, Khawaja flagged the need for patience as this an Aussie group arrives at a looming cliff with the likes of Smith, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon and others all in the twilight of their international careers.

Five of the hosts' 15-man squad for the final Ashes Test is aged 35 or older. Starc, Smith, Michael Neser (all 35) and Scott Boland (36) are all at age when cricketers typically consider their futures. Lyon (38) would have been a sixth had he not injured his hamstring earlier in the series. 

Todd Murphy, if selected to play this week, will be just the second Australian yet to turn 30 (after Cameron Green) to play in this series.

But Smith's commitment to playing on through 2026, starting with a two-Test winter series against Bangladesh in the Top End before a three-Test tour of South Africa, shapes as a major boost having previously been non-committal on his future.

"Obviously with Usman dropping off now, he’s one of our experienced players, so it probably wouldn't be ideal if him and I went out this week for instance," Smith told reporters on Saturday. "I want to keep playing … I'm enjoying it.

"There's a bit of a break after this before the Bangladesh series. A few Shield games (through February-March) where guys can obviously put their names up there as well.

"I think ultimately you probably want a group of players that you can have playing in that cycle to get to the (2027) World Test Championship final."

Australia have neatly stumbled into possible long-term opening replacements for Khawaja, who will finish his career in the middle order after Travis Head and Jake Weatherald emerged as a strong combination against the new ball this summer.

Khawaja has urged selectors to show faith in Weatherald over the coming years having averaged 21 so far in his maiden Test campaign. The veteran's own career commenced amid turbulent times during the 2010-11 Ashes and he then faced the axe more than half-a-dozen times during his 88-Test career.

"I said the same thing when Davey (Warner) retired – it's not easy to replace experienced Test cricketers. You have to be a little bit patient," Khawaja said on Friday.

"I think we're seeing that right now with 'Weathers' in some respects. He came and did really well, and now he's had a few innings that he missed out, and hopefully he'll get back on the horse and score runs again.

"But Test cricket is a different beast. It's the media, it's everything else – the cricket isn't too different.

"I came through a period where (the team) was in a transition in 2010, we were a struggling Australian cricket team. We lost a lot of the greats. We still had Punter (Ricky Ponting) and Pup (Michael Clarke), but they couldn't all do it themselves.

"So 100 per cent I expect (with) myself going, Davey going, eventually Smudge (Smith) is going to go, Starcy is going to go, Patty can't play (forever) – there's got to be a transition happening very soon. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out.

"Eventually Australia will always find their feet. Our Sheffield Shield system – I don't care what anyone says – is very strong batting and bowling will always produce good cricketers. It's just about giving them enough time and Test cricket to be able to do that."

Even if Australia defy history by keeping together their ageing Baggy Green stars, it is certain they will need to find new blood to get through a marathon stretch of Test cricket in which they could play up to 21 Tests in around 12 months.

After the Bangladesh and South Africa series, the Aussies host New Zealand for four Tests before five-Test Border Gavaskar Trophy and Ashes tours through 2027, while also featuring in a commemorative Test against England at the MCG and hoping to make the WTC final.

Coach Andrew McDonald has expressed optimism that Smith has the energy to push on with the veteran batter content in a new phase of his career that has seen him move to New York and retire from ODIs while pursuing T20 franchise opportunities outside his Test commitments.

McDonald also insisted Starc's freakish athleticism and physical discipline could see him become Australia's oldest paceman since the 1960s and lead Australia's tilt at claiming the urn in England for first time in close to 30 years.

The futures of Test skipper Pat Cummins (32), Josh Hazlewood (34) and Lyon may well be dictated by whether their bodies can continue to handle the rigours of long-form cricket having all had their summers ruined by injury.

It begs the question as to who McDonald and co. see as longer-term captaincy alternatives to Cummins and Smith. Travis Head was appointed as a co vice-captain in 2023, but Smith has remained Cummins' preferred stand-in.

"I actually haven't really thought about that, to be honest," Smith said when asked if he planned to continue leading in Cummins' absence.

"I've enjoyed this series and enjoyed taking over when Pat hasn't been here. I like helping him as well when he is there. From the start we've worked pretty well together.

"We've all got different strengths as leaders. I think the way that I can help him out in the field, and the way I view the game is beneficial.

"So we'll think about that, and if the people higher above me want to make changes and put someone younger in or whatever, then go for it. I'm not that fussed, to be honest. I'm chilled doing my job and happy helping in any way."

2025-26 NRMA Insurance Men's Ashes

First Test: Australia won by eight wickets

Second Test: Australia won by eight wickets

Third Test: Australia won by 82 runs

Fourth Test: England won by four wickets

Fifth Test: January 4-8: SCG, Sydney, 10:30am AEDT

Australia squad (fifth Test): Steve Smith (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Todd Murphy, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster

England squad: Ben Stokes (c), Harry Brook (vc), Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Matthew Fisher, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue