Veteran Australian batter Steve Smith has cast uncertainty over his inclusion in next year’s Ashes tour of England, admitting he evaluates his Test career on a series-by-series basis while shifting his long-term focus toward the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The 37-year-old, currently representing the Amsterdam Flames in the European T20 Premier League (ETPL), has featured in 125 Tests and compiled 37 centuries. He holds the second spot in the ICC men’s Test batting rankings, trailing only England's Harry Brook.

Addressing his future, Smith expressed reservations about planning too far ahead.

"I don’t even know if I’ll be there yet. I’m kind of a series-by-series proposition, as I’ve been for a while, and that’s still a fair way away for me right now. So, yeah, I’d love to win one there or to have won one there, but you'll wait and see if that comes to fruition.

"Right now, probably it’s just the Olympics as a goal, to try to be a part of that. One of the reasons why I wanted to play with Amsterdam here was just to continue playing as much T20 cricket as I can," Smith said on Monday.

Although he has not determined a definitive retirement timeline, Smith noted that his remaining years in professional cricket will lean more heavily toward franchise T20 leagues.

"I still like to think I could play T20 cricket for a while. What’s next for me when I finish? I’m not sure, but yeah, hopefully there is a bit more time left playing.

“I’ve achieved a lot in the game. It’s been a great ride for the last 15 years or thereabouts. I’ve had a lot of fun. I’m still enjoying it, so I don’t have an end date; we’ll wait and see. But it’s been a good ride.”

Australia's upcoming schedule includes a three-Test tour of South Africa in October, marking Smith's first Test appearance in the country since the 2018 ball-tampering incident that resulted in a 12-month suspension from international cricket.

Downplaying the historical context of the return, Smith insisted his focus remains purely on the competition.

“Oh, for me, it’s just another series. All that happened a long time ago, and we’ve played a lot of cricket – we’ve been back to South Africa since then for one-dayers. They’re a good side at the moment – obviously they beat us in the World Test Championship final. They have a really good pace attack as well, so it should be a cracker of a series.” (IANS)