LONDON: Australian batting great Steve Smith is raring to go against England in the home Ashes later this year.

The former skipper, who has the third-highest Test runs against England after Sir Don Bradman and Allan Border, believes England’s aggressive style of play is likely to produce an exciting contest Down Under.

“I watched a lot of the series against India and it was one of the best Test series I’ve seen in a long time,” he said in an interview released by Sky Sports on Friday. “The cricket that was played by both teams was outstanding.

Smith, however, doubted England’s approach would work as efficiently as in the UK in the Australian conditions.

“Coming down to Australia, particularly for their batters, it’s going to be a big challenge,” he added. “The pitches here over the last few years have been quite difficult. But we’ve got a very experienced bowling line-up that’s enjoyed long-term success. I’m really looking forward to it — it should be a fantastic series.”

The 35-year-old also praised Joe Root’s remarkable form, especially after the England batter surpassed greats such as Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis and Ricky Ponting to become the second-highest run-scorer in Test cricket.

“Over the past couple of years, he’s been incredible,” Smith remarked. “He used to get stuck between 50 and 100, but now he’s consistently converting starts into big scores. Although, he hasn’t scored a hundred in Australia yet—and I’m sure that’s something he’s looking to tick off his bucket list.”

Root, who has been a key figure in England’s resurgence under the Bazball philosophy, recently became the first batter to reach 6,000 runs in the ICC World Test Championship.

Asked whether Australia would resort to traditional sledging tactics against Root in the Ashes, Smith said the team is more focused on execution than mind games.

“The way we’ve approached our cricket in recent years is to let our skills do the talking,” he said. “We’ve been consistent in Test cricket, playing in two consecutive World Test Championship finals. We’re doing a lot right.”

OLYMPIC AMBITION

Apart from the Ashes, another goal on Smith’s radar is representing Australia at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where cricket is set to return to the Games after more than a century.

“I’ve watched a lot of Olympics since I was a kid and always loved seeing Australian athletes compete,” he said. “When I heard cricket was being included, I thought it would be really cool to be part of it.”

Smith, who has featured in multiple World Cups and marquee bilateral series, views the Olympic Games as a fresh and unique opportunity.

“It’s still some time away, but representing your country on the Olympic stage would be an incredible honour. I’d love to be involved in that,” he concluded.

Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2025