Reports: Steve Smith rejects offer from Sydney Sixers for upcoming BBL

‘At the moment he (Smith) has decided not to commit,’ said Smith’s manager.

Star Australian batter Steve Smith has reportedly rejected an offer from the Sydney Sixers, with the upcoming Big Bash League (BBL) season on the cards. Smith told the franchise that he is unsure about needing rest after Australia’s Test summer season towards the end of the year. The batter also admitted that he did not want to seal a spot on the team, and wanted to make way for younger players.

It now rests on Sydney Sixers to either fill the 18-player roster for the season with a youngster or save a spot for the former Australia captain. This could also influence their recruiting decisions in the upcoming draft for the BBL, which is going to take place on August 28.

“At the moment he (Smith) has decided not to commit,” Smith’s manager Warren Craig told Sydney Morning Herald. “There is a lot of cricket coming up.”

Steve Smith could feature as a replacement player for the Sixers

Cricket Australia (CA) has vowed to allow Smith to play a few games in the BBL if he changes his mind, but it could be a gamble for Sydney Sixers to leave out a spot in the squad until the end of the year with the 33-year-old being unsure about his availability.

However, it is said that the BBL is eager to find a way to get Smith on board with the Sixers as a replacement player if at all he is interested to partake in the competition later, as per Newscorp reports. Smith boasts experience of playing in 229 T20 matches with 4,724 runs under his belt. He also has a century and 21 fifties in the format, along with 54 wickets with the ball.

Meanwhile, Australia was scheduled to play against South Africa for a three-match ODI series in January. The Proteas later withdrew from the series, and it was expected to make way for Australia’s international players to appear in the BBL. But, reports also mentioned that players such as Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood also have pulled out of the T20 competition due to a cramped Test schedule in the summer.