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Sport Nation
Healy certain Smith can 'play until he’s 40' after third ton in four Tests
Lachlan Geleit • January 30th, 2025 6:48 pm
Aussie cricket great Ian Healy has proclaimed that Steve Smith can play international cricket until the age of 40.
The 35-year-old passed 10,000 Test runs in the first innings at Galle where he also reached his 35th century in the format with a huge score of 141.
His mammoth innings alongside Usman Khawaja's big ton have helped Australia set up the first Test in Sri Lanka, reaching 3/401 when Smith was dismissed.
Smith’s knock is the latest in a run of form that has convinced Healy that he’s back to his best, with the No. 4 scoring three tons in his last four Tests.
After watching Smith in Galle, Healy thinks that he has at least four years left in the tank at the top level if he wants, adding that he’s easily a top-five Australian batsman of all-time alongside the names of Ponting, Bradman, Border, Waugh and Chappell and potentially even top three of that group.
“I was so pleased, his batting his back,” Healy told SENQ.
“I thought he was clear-headed, and he was timing the ball beautifully, even in his defence.
“I'm saying he could play to 40 now. He's got heaps ahead of him.
“He’s one of his greatest and his record is statistically like that, he's right up there.
“He'll always get mentioned in maybe the top three and definitely top five.
“He’s up with Allan Border, Ricky Ponting, Don Bradman, Steve Waugh and Greg Chappell.”
You can listen to every ball of the Sri Lanka Test series LIVE on the Sport Nation app, thanks to our partners SEN Cricket.
