Retirement of Steve Smith from ODI cricket concludes a remarkable chapter in Australian cricket. With 2270 runs and a 57.50% win rate as skipper, Steve Smith stands among Australia’s remarkable ODI leaders. Even without a major ICC tournament win, his captaincy was marked by key performances and steady authority, despite being overshadowed by the 2018 ball-tampering misconduct.
Recent retirement of Steve Smith from One-day International (ODI) cricket marks the end of an era for most skilled and strategic captain of Australia.
Smith will continue to be pivotal player in Test and T20 cricket, his footprint in the 50-over format invites analysis – where does he stand among Australia’s greatest ODI skippers?
Steve Smith holds a respectable position among all the ODI captains of Australian cricket. With 40 matches at the tiller, captain Smith boasts a solid 57.50% win rate, placing Smith seventh on the list of Australian Captains with the most matches.
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Smith never led the team to a major ICC tournament victory, even his leadership period saw Australia maintain its competitive edge. In the white-ball cricket, he has considered one of the finest player. Steve Smith racked up two ICC World Cup titles in 2015 and 2023 under the captaincy of Michael Clarke and Pat Cummins, respectively.
Smith amassed 2270 runs at an impressive average of 43.65 while considering individual batting performances as a skipper.
This performance puts him fifth among Australian captains, trailing legends like Allan Border, Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, and Steve Waugh.
Highest run scorer as Australia skippers
- Ricky Ponting (2002-2012) : 229 matches, 8382 runs
- Allan Border (1985-1994) : 178 matches, 4439 runs
- Michael Clarke (2008-2015): 74 matches, 2745 runs
- Steve Waugh (1997-2002) : 106 matches, 2585 runs
- Steve Smith (2015 – 2025) : 64 matches, 2270 runs
Steve Smith highest ODI score was 164 off 154 balls vs New Zealand in Sydney in year 2016. His ability to lead innings under pressure high point his value as both a leader and a batsman.
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