Former Australian Test captain Steve Smith has his sights set on Olympic gold.
Having just helped Australia secure a 4-1 series victory over England in the Ashes, the 36-year-old has opened up on his ambition of achieving sport’s ultimate prize.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Steve Smith targets Olympic gold at 2028 LA games.
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In an exclusive interview with 7NEWS, Smith revealed he stopped playing one day cricket so that he could prolong his time in the shortest format of the game.
And with T20 cricket an Olympic sport in 2028 in Los Angeles, the veteran says that is more of a motivating factor driving him than the prospect of further Ashes glory.
“I finished playing one day cricket so I could play some more short form stuff around my Test matches,” Smith said.
“You know I’d love to be a part of an Olympics, that’d be pretty cool. So that’s certainly a goal of mine.”
The Test legend, who will be 39 when the Games roll around, wants to reclaim his place the T20 side in time to make a splash in Los Angeles.
He was part of the Australian squad who won their first T20 World Cup five years ago and has scored more than 1000 runs in T20 internationals, averaging just under 25.
Smith was also a core member of the Australian teams that won the 2015 and 2023 ICC Cricket World Cups.
Meanwhile, fresh off his own heroics during the Ashes, teammate Mitchell Starc is refusing to put his feet up this summer, eyeing success in his long-awaited BBL return with the Sydney Sixers.
His first BBL match since December 2014 comes after the 35-year-old was crowned player of the series for his devastating performances across the five Ashes Tests.
Undoubtedly the best bowler on either side, the left-arm quick took 31 wickets at 19.93 — the most scalps he has claimed in a Test series in his career.
Starc also maintained an average pace above 140km/h across 153.1 overs in seven weeks, while notching two half-centuries and top-scoring in the second Test with 77.
Starc, who retired from international T20s last year, said his rest would come during the T20 World Cup starting in February.
“I’ve got two months to rest after the Big Bash,” Starc said on Wednesday.
“There’s still enough in the tank to get through T20 cricket for another couple of weeks, and then I can put my feet up.”
While saying he still has to “dust the cobwebs off” with the white ball, Starc hoped to help guide the Sixers to their fourth BBL title.
Smith and Starc will line up for the Sixers at the SCG in Friday night’s Sydney Smash against the Sydney Thunder.
– with AAP
