Steve Smith insists he has no plans to follow Usman Khawaja into retirement - raising the prospect of one last Ashes trip to England.
Khawaja, who turned 39 last month, will bow out at the SCG at the end of the fifth Test against England, leaving 36-year-old Smith as the elder statesman of the Baggy Green set-up.
The stand-in skipper, who gave up ODI cricket last March, is no stranger to speculation over his own future but has made it clear he has no intention of calling time in the near future.
Australia face an eight-month break from red-ball cricket followed by a packed schedule of up to 21 matches in the following year, including the 2027 tour of England.
And Smith, who has never won a series on English soil, could be sticking around for the duration.
"With Usman dropping off now, that's one of our experienced players and it probably wouldn't be ideal if he and I both went out this week, for instance," he said.
"It's a shame he's gone, now I'm the oldest one here. I want to keep playing, I'm still enjoying it. We've got a really good team.
"I've said for a while I'm taking it day by day, series by series and we'll see where things land. I feel like I'm doing alright at the moment, I'm contributing and having fun so there's no real end date for me, I suppose."
Australia have yet to make a final call over the make-up of their team as they push to turn their 3-1 series lead into a thumping 4-1 success at the SCG.
All-rounder Cameron Green is vulnerable after another modest series with bat and ball, with Beau Webster pushing, while a late assessment of the pitch will be completed before they decide whether to hand spinner Todd Murphy his home debut.
PA
