Media365
Australian cricket star Steve Smith has expressed his thoughts about qualifying for the T20I squad in the upcoming Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, acknowledging the challenges ahead.Cricket is making its return to the Olympics after a long absence of 128 years, with its last appearance dating back to 1900. Smith, who will be 39 during the Los Angeles Games, is eager to represent Australia at this prestigious sporting event.“I mean, it is a goal of mine to try and make that Olympic team in 28. I think, you know, the team’s doing pretty well at the moment, the Australian T20 team. So it’s going to be tricky to get in there, but you know, just got to keep putting my best foot forward, and we’ll never know,” Smith was quoted as saying to Sky Sports.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“Yeah, I mean, I’ve watched a lot of Olympics since I was a young kid and really enjoyed watching the Australian athletes go about it. So, you know, when I heard that cricket was going to be a part of it, I was like, that would be really cool to be involved.”The prospect of competing at the Olympics has captured Smith’s interest, despite his extensive experience in major cricket tournaments including World Cups, Champions Trophy, and World Test Championship finals.“So, you know, I’ve obviously played in, you know, lots of World Cups and Ashes and uh Border Gavaskar Trophy and things like that, but um yeah, when this popped up, it was something new and another opportunity to, you know, represent your country on a world stage. So, yeah, it was like I’d love to be involved in that, but it’s still a fair way away. So, we’ll see,” he added.Smith recently retired from ODI cricket following a Champions Trophy disappointment. His participation in T20 internationals has been limited, with his most recent appearance occurring in February 2024 against New Zealand.The upcoming T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka next year adds uncertainty to Smith’s position in Australia’s future plans.
