Steve Smith hits back at Michael Vaughan after the former England captain claimed the Australia star will retire after the Ashes series: ‘I’m not going anywhere’
Steve Smith has dismissed speculation that he will retire at the end of this summer’s Ashes series after Michael Vaughan brought up the idea.
former England captain Vaughan suggested on Fox Cricket that Smith and Australia opener David Warner will step away from Test Cricket after the series, which concludes at the Oval in the coming days.
Warner, who has already confirmed his plans to retire over the Australian summer, laughed off the suggestion and now Smith, 34, has thrown cold water on Vaughan’s claim.
“I will not retire,” said Smith,
‘I have no idea (where it came from), because I haven’t told anyone, so no one. I’m not going anywhere yet.
Steve Smith has rejected suggestions that he will retire from cricket this summer
Former England captain Michael Vaughan claimed Smith will step away from Test cricket
Smith’s dogged hitting on day two helped keep Australia well in the game in south London on Friday, although the superstar batsman admitted he was lucky to survive a controversial decision by third umpire Nitin Menon.
He judged that England’s Jonny Bairstow had dislodged the bails before removing them, on a day when Australia were bowled out for 295, leading by 12 innings into the first innings, to effectively set up a one-innings shootout in the fifth Test of ashes. .
“You just have to put aside the refs and what he (Menon) said and luckily for me I guess he didn’t say anything,” Smith said.
“I watched the opening replay and the bail came up and when I looked a second time it looked like Jonny might have hit the bail before the ball went in. It looked pretty close.”
Smith was on 43 at the time and Australia would have been on 195 for eight had they ruled him out, after substitute outfielder George Ealham, son of former England player Mark Ealham, handed Gary Pratt shades to Ricky Ponting in 2005.
Smith reached 71, while adding 54 with Pat Cummins.
“Kumar (Dharmasena) told me if it was Zing bails I’d be out,” said a frustrated Stuart Broad.
But Smith insists he won’t be going anywhere after Friday’s play at the Oval in south London.
‘I really don’t understand the reasoning why? I think there was enough gray area to give that.
‘What are the rules? What is the correct decision? It seemed like the benefit of the doubt.
“From the first angle I saw I thought it was out and then from the side angle it looked like the bails had probably come off,” Broad added.
