Who said what - Top 5 expert reactions to Steve Smith's ODI retirement ft. AB de Villiers

Steve Smith called time on his illustrious ODI career after Australia’s Champions Trophy exit in the semifinal game against India. Serving as the side's captain, Smith returned as the team’s best batter with a 73-run knock, but India sealed the chase to punch their ticket to the final.

Smith made his ODI debut in 2010 and scored 5,800 runs in 170 appearances at an average of 43.28 with 12 centuries. Along the way, he was part of Australia’s title-winning squad At the 2015 and 2023 World Cups. Notably, he was the team’s top-scorer in the 2015 edition with 402 runs.

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On that note, let’s check out the top expert reactions to Steve Smith’s ODI retirement.

#1 Ravi Shastri

Former Indian cricketer-turned-commentator Ravi Shastri appeared on Ten Sports' 'Dressing Room Show', where he shared his thoughts on Steve Smith's retirement. As per Shastri, it would have been a fitting farewell for the right-hander if he had scored a century.

"No real surprises. He is not getting any younger," Shastri said. "He must have wanted to win this game and retire, and he was in a great position until he got out yesterday. He could have added at least 30 runs to the score."

Nevertheless, Ravi Shastri lauded Smith's "hunger" to score runs and his ability to put the opposition under pressure with his unconventional technique.

"Magnificent player. His hunger and desire, the way he evolved with times. He has got a technique that is not natural. It is of his own, he moves around the crease. He is a coach's nightmare when he started playing the game but when you look at the numbers, he is second to none," Shastri concluded.

#2 AB de Villiers

One of the finest white-ball batters to grace the field, AB de Villiers took to his YouTube channel to praise Steve Smith's ODI career. 'Mr. 360' thinks Smith is a perfect example of how the game should be played, while also lauding his keenness to gain knowledge. He said:

"What a wonderful player over years years, he's been a thorn on the side to play against South Africa for me personally and for many teams. He's been tough to play against he's a wonderful marketing tool for cricket and how cricket should be played. He's a gentleman on the field on and off the park, he studies the game of cricket, he does his homework. He's one of those guys that really love the game so much, it's part and parcel of his life."

Moreover, De Villiers stated that Steve Smith's career was similar to Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson's, who remained calm in pressure situations.

"It's just always that kind of guy is Virat Kohli kind of guy in his team, the Kane Williamson kind of guy, the guy that keeps things together keeps things calm when the pressure is on. Thank you so much for entertaining us and really looking after the game of cricket and ODI Cricket so well for so many years."

#3 Michael Atherton

During an interaction on Sky Sports, former England captain Michael Atherton noted that despite ODI retirement, Steve Smith will be available for the team in the Test and T20I formats, which is where the main interest lies, as per him.

Atherton lauded Smith for his all-format proficiency, but feels his style of play is best suited for the red-ball format. He said:

"His retirement statement saying he wants to play in T20 and Test cricket but not 50-over cricket kind of reflects where the game is at the moment. He's a fantastic player across all formats for Australia. You probably say Test cricket is his best format, the one which has been his super strength. The term would use with Kohli for ODI cricket, which is his absolute best format."

#4 Nasser Hussain

In the aforementioned interaction, former England captain Nasser Hussain shared his thoughts about Steve Smith's final game. According to Hussain, it didn't feel like Smith had lost touch and lauded him for his performances in the last six months, saying:

"When you watched him bat in that game (Champions Trophy semifinal), he is not a man whose skills are waning. He had a little quiet period for a time but in the last six months to a year, he's played beautifully and against India as well."

Hussain further praised Smith's captaincy, where he managed to take Australia to the semifinals, despite the absence of several experienced players. He added:

"The way he got the most out of those resources, all the players that are missing, but his gut feel, tactical nous and his will to try and win for Australia has never ever been doubted and we saw that in this tournament. If you're going to go out all right, it was a loss but the way he carried himself in this tournament was excellent."

#5 Ahmad Shahzad

During an interaction on Samaa News, former Pakistan batter Ahmad Shahzad praised Steve Smith for proving his merit in the ODI format, while also revealing that he played U19 cricket against the Australian.

Shahzad also labeled Smith a great leader for the Australian team, before the sandpaper gate scandal affected his career. He said:

"A very big player has bid farewell to ODI cricket. He was my batchmate during out U19 days, and I have seen him improved over the years. Although, he entered as a leg-spinner, he improved his batting with hard work. He is a dedicated player and served Australia well. He was a great leader before that incident (sandpaper), he was doing really well."