GOOD TIMING: Steve Smith quits ODIs on time but don’t expect that from Indian stars

Steve Smith has retired from ODIs, something which should not surprise the cricketing fraternity since Aussies take decisions from the head and not the heart. A day after the Yellow Brigade lost to the Men in Blue in the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy in Dubai, Smith put out a statement on Wednesday, he was done with the ODIS. In the same breath, he also said that he would be available for Tests, since the Aussies will be facing South Africa in the ICC Test Championship final later this year. He has also made himself available for T20 internationals, keeping an eye, perhaps, on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics as well. T20 cricket will be making its debut in the Olympics and Smith has put up his hand for it.

In Australia, there is no star culture, really. Cricketers are commoners and they believe they have to deliver and be relevant. As a member of two Aussie teams which won the ODI World cup, Steve Smith has a lot of cricket left in him. It is now up to the Australian cricket board if they want him or not. This is the way it should, be, really for a player in a team sport. Keep performing and be ready to play for the country if there is a call-up. Call it sincerity or being grounded, this is the way Aussie cricket works.

Sample this, Pat Cummins, the legendary Aussie skipper was out for the Champions Trophy with an injury. He rested, took care of rehab and should be back for the IPL 2025. More important, he will also look to lead Australia in the ICC Test Championship final. Incidentally, Cummins is the only foreign captain among the 10 franchises in the IPL this year.

There is a lot to learn from the way a Steve Smith walks away from one format of cricket. At the same time, he has not shut himself out totally. In many ways, Indians can learn a lot from this as well. Retirement in Indian cricket is a very touchy topic. Most cricketers have stretched their careers late, some even wanting to play when not fully fit. This holds true for even two legends of Indian cricket, Kapil Dev and Sachin Tendulkar. Kapil’s knees had given away and the last set of matches he played, he was hobbling to bowl and was eventually dropped. In India, cricketers feel retirement is like some curse or being banished. No, it is not that way at all. To walk into sunset with grace is more important than being asked to go.

As for Sachin Tendulkar, he was blessed to have pushed his career deep and even wangle for himself a two-Test series against the West Indies in 2013. That was the aura of Sachin and how much respect the BCCI accorded him. How is all this relevant now? Well, sooner or later, questions will be asked how long Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli can stretch/extend their careers. After the win against the Aussies, coach Gautam Gambhir spoke out in favour of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. It is good the coach made a few things clear, most important being how Rohit still sends massive positive vibes into the Indian dressing room. Gambhir was emphatic when he replied to a Pakistani journalist, that the media and experts may be going just by numbers – runs and stats – but the Indian think-tank has a different approach.

This is a good time for Gambhir to have spoken up. Rewind to what happened Down Under during the BGT Series. Is it a case of Gambhir having learnt diplomacy, since there were serious differences between him and captain Rohit Sharma in Australia. Now that India are in the final of the Champions Trophy, the focus is on the most important match. However, from a macro view, what’s in store for Rohit and Kohli, nobody knows. No decision can be made just by the players. Both the stalwarts have walked away from T20 internationals but their ability to contribute in Tests and ODIs is still there.

Do not expect these Indians to walk inti sunset like Steve Smith did in ODIs. This is India, star power is still supreme in many ways!