Hours before Australia’s opening game in the 2024 T20 World Cup against Oman at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Wednesday (June 5), one of the greatest batters of this generation, Steve Smith, was spotted on the expert panel with the host broadcaster for the clash between India and Ireland in New York.

Smith’s absence was one of the biggest talking points when Australia announced their squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup last month, along with the exclusion of young sensation Jack Fraser-McGurk. While Fraser-Mcgurk has yet to debut for Australia in the shortest format, Smith was part of the Australian team in the shortest format until their last international assignment came into the event against New Zealand in January.

Why is Steve Smith Not Part Of Australia’s T20 World Cup 2024 Squad ?

The 2024 T20 World Cup is the first time since the 2014 T20 World Cup that Smith will not be playing in an ICC white-ball event. He was part of the Australian team in the 2015, 2019, and 2023 ODI World Cup, as well as the 2016, 2021, and 2022 T20 World Cup squads. He was also part of Australia’s 2010 T20 World Cup squad, in which he finished as the joint second-highest wicket-taker with 11 scalps and helped the Michael Clarke-led outfit reach the final for the first time in history.

Smith played every game when Australia won the title for the first and, to date, only time in history in 2021.

However, he struggled to nail down a spot in the squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup with Australia’s power-packed top-order, which includes David Warner, Travis Head, and skipper Mitchell Marsh.

Even in the 2022 edition, which Australia hosted, Smith was on the bench for the majority of the competition, played just one match, and scored four runs.

Overall, the Australian cricket legend has 1094 runs in 67 T20Is at an average of 24.86 and a strike rate of 125.45.