Steve Smith has retired from One Day International cricket, effective immediately, after playing 170 ODIs and scoring 5800 runs at an average of 43.28.
## What happened?
The Australian veteran cricketer made the surprise announcement just a day after the Australians were knocked out of the Champions Trophy by India.
He informed his teammates of his decision after the semi-final loss in Dubai.
## Why it matters for Steve Smith
Smith was Australia’s stand-in captain during the tournament and the best performing batter in Tuesday’s semi-final, scoring 73.
He felt like the time was right to retire from the 50-over format.
## What comes next?
“Test cricket remains a priority,” Smith said in a statement on Wednesday, looking forward to the World Test Championship final, the West Indies in the winter, and then England at home.
He has long said he would continue weighing his career on a series-by-series basis.
The 35-year-old has 12 ODI centuries to his name and won two World Cups.
“It has been a great ride and I have loved every minute of it,” said Smith.
Cricket Australia thanked him for his services to ODI cricket, calling him “the great Steve Smith”.
Fans around the world congratulated him on a brilliant ODI career.
Reuters journalist Kanishka Raj Singh said Smith’s average was really good and he was a beast in the 2015 World Cup.
Another prominent cricket fan said Smith’s retirement from ODI cricket closes a stellar chapter for Australia’s batting maestro.
Smith’s decision to retire from ODI cricket will allow him to focus on Test cricket and the upcoming World Test Championship final.
He will also play in the winter against the West Indies and then England at home.
The Australian team will now have to find a new batsman to replace Smith in the ODI format.
Smith’s retirement is a significant loss for the Australian team, but he will still be playing Test cricket.
He has been a key player for Australia in the Test format and will continue to be an important part of the team.
The World Test Championship final will be a major challenge for Smith and the Australian team.
They will have to play against the best teams in the world and will need to be at their best to win.
Smith is looking forward to the challenge and is confident that he can still contribute to the team’s success.
He has been a great player for Australia and will be remembered as one of the best batsmen in the history of the game.