Steve Smith travelled to New York after Australia's Test series in South Africa concluded, consulting a specialist about the neck complaint that had troubled him throughout the tour.

The neck problem was first identified as a cervical facet joint injury on Day 4 of the second Test at St George's Park in Gqeberha on October 21, 2026. Smith had also experienced a concussion scare during the Durban leg of the South Africa tour, compounding a difficult few weeks for the veteran batter. Across four innings on the tour, he managed 83 runs in total. He was ruled out of the final Test at Newlands, having received a nerve-block injection on the morning of that match before ultimately being stood down.

As reported by Cricinfo, while the rest of the Australian squad flew directly home, Smith stayed on in New York, where he owns an apartment and spends considerable time, before planning to head back to Sydney next week. Chair of selectors George Bailey confirmed that Smith's time in New York had been productive.

"Just chatting to him in New York, he's had some specialist appointments there and some progress, I think, in terms of getting to the root of what might have been causing him some trouble in South Africa," Bailey said, as quoted by Cricinfo.

When could Smith return to competitive cricket?

Smith is targeting a return through the Sheffield Shield for New South Wales. Two upcoming matches are on the radar: New South Wales face South Australia in Sydney on November 11, followed by a fixture against Queensland in Sydney on November 22. Bailey indicated that Shield round five is the current target for Smith's comeback. On the question of Smith's availability for that New Zealand series, Bailey was direct.

"So hopefully that continues to trend in the right direction. His plan is he'll be available for Shield [round] five. I certainly haven't had any discussions with him to suggest otherwise [participation vs New Zealand]. And as I said, the information that he shared from New York post those specialist updates are positive," he said.

Should that plan hold, Smith would have time to build match fitness before Australia's Test series against New Zealand, which gets underway in Perth on December 9, 2026.

Is Smith's long-term future with Australia in doubt?

Smith has faced persistent questions about his international future, particularly given the injury setbacks during the South Africa tour, and his desire to participate in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Bailey acknowledged that Smith has been pressed on the subject more than most players, but expressed confidence that the 37-year-old remains central to Australia's plans for the series ahead, including tours to England and India next year. Bailey stated he had received no indication from Smith of any intention to retire, describing the information coming out of New York as positive.

"Yeah, absolutely. He has probably been asked about it more specifically than a lot of others. But for someone who's achieved a hell of a lot and I still can see him achieving a hell of a lot more. I think we've got some pretty exciting series coming up. Yeah, I'm confident he'll be a very important part of them," Bailey said.