Steve Smith has joined the Pakistan Super League after he failed to attract buyers at the Indian Premier League 2026 auction and did not make the Australian T20 World Cup team. The PSL franchise Sialkot Stallionz signed the former Australian captain for their upcoming 11th league season.
The PSL team signed Smith through a direct signing process because the league implemented a new rule which allows teams to select one athlete from outside the player selection process. The upcoming season will conduct its complete player selection process on February 11. The Pakistan Super League has added two new teams because Sialkot Stallionz joined the league which now features eight teams for its 2026 season while another team from Hyderabad in Sindh also joined.
The Sialkot Stallionz organization revealed his signing on Tuesday, which will mark the 36-year-old player’s first PSL appearance. Smith will join his former Australia teammate Tim Paine, who earlier became the franchise’s head coach.
Paine announced Smiths signing through an X post which he described as “One of the all time great players is a PSL Stallionz!” The PSL T20 league and our franchise gained a significant advantage from this player acquisition.
Smith spent his previous seasons in professional baseball before moving to the Big Bash League. Smith accumulated 299 runs through six BBL 2025-26 games for the Sydney Sixers while he maintained a strike rate of 167.97 and a batting average of 59.80. Smith scored 299 runs during the match, which included a century and two half centuries, and he helped the Sixers reach the final.
Smith missed selection for Australia’s 2026 T20 World Cup team despite showing good performance. He last played a T20I for Australia in February 2024 and has since been on the fringes of the national setup in the shortest format. Smith achieved 1094 runs through 67 T20I matches which he played at a strike rate of 125.45. He took part in Australia’s successful 2021 T20 World Cup victory but people have seen him mainly as a Test specialist during recent years.
Tony Dodemaide who works as an Australia selector said Smith will continue to be evaluated for selection during the tournament if players sustain injuries.
“Steve is an exceptional player who has worked very hard on his short form game and was rewarded with a great stint in the Big Bash batting at the top for the Sixers,” Dodemaide said. “The current T20 top order has been very successful building into this tournament so we feel we’re well placed in that area. Steve will be considered for replacement decision and this information has been shared with him.”
The veteran batter attracted no interest during the IPL auction but Smith continues to pursue his international goals. The right hander has spoken openly about targeting the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 which will feature cricket as a returning Olympic sport.
“I always want to play for Australia in big tournaments. But I think that ship (T20 World Cup) has sailed. The team has two opening batters who are performing well. I’m relaxed doing what I can here and having some fun,” Smith said earlier.
“My main goal, as I’ve said before, is to get on the team when the Olympics are rolling around. I’d be keen to do that. That’d be pretty cool. Keep doing what I’m doing, and you never know.”
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