Steve Smith stays in New York as Australian Test stars return to the Sheffield Shield

As Australian Test players return to the Sheffield Shield less than 50 days before the start of the Ashes, Steve Smith remains in New York. Find out why here.

Daniel Cherny

@danielcherny

less than 2 min read

October 8, 2025 - 5:42PM

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Steve Smith is likely to return to Australia by the end of next week as he ramps up his Ashes build-up with two Sheffield Shield matches for NSW.

The Aussie vice-captain, who is likely to lead the Test side in Perth due to Pat Cummins’ back issues, remains in New York, which is now his primary residential base.

Smith, 36, took to Instagram on Tuesday (AEDT), reposting footage of him deadlifting that had been uploaded by New York-based personal trainer Nick Herod.

Having retired from one-day internationals earlier this year, and having not been picked for Twenty20 internationals in more than 18 months, Smith is essentially a Test specialist these days, while also playing a smattering of franchise cricket around the world.

While fellow Test-only players Usman Khawaja and Nathan Lyon have been in action during the opening round of the Sheffield Shield, Cricket Australia has allowed Smith to stay in the US.

Steve Smith remains in New York as Australia's Test combatants sweat it out in the Sheffield Shield.

He has been slated to play for the Blues against Queensland at the Gabba, starting on October 28, and then against Victoria at the SCG from November 10, providing him two red-ball matches before the first Test, which commences in Perth on November 21.

CA has made several allowances for Smith that it has not generally provided to other players. The all-time great had been earmarked to head to the US to play a couple of matches for Washington Freedom in Major League Cricket between the World Test Championship final and the first Test in the West Indies.

Steve Smith played for Welsh Fire in The Hundred. Picture: Getty Images

That plan was scuppered when Smith hurt his finger in the WTC decider, but Smith was then given the green light to recuperate in New York while teammates trained and played in Barbados.

He found a baseball batting cage in New York before rejoining the Aussie squad, starring in the second Test in Grenada.

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Smith was also allowed to miss CA’s Brisbane content camp in September, in contrast to leg-spinner Adam Zampa who was recalled from a planned stint with Surrey.

The batting icon scored four tons across a five-Test stretch last summer, ending a barren run with imperious form against India and Sri Lanka.

He has long remained noncommittal about his long-term future, in essence describing himself as a series to series proposition.