Steve Smith, one of Australia’s modern greats, has stirred the cricketing debate by naming Sachin Tendulkar — not Virat Kohli — as his pick for the Greatest Batter of All Time. Tendulkar, who represented India for an astonishing 24 years, played 664 international matches, amassing 34,357 runs and claiming 201 wickets. His records remain unmatched — the most matches played in both Tests and ODIs, and the highest run tally in the five-day and 50-over formats.

Kohli, widely regarded as the modern batting giant, has his own staggering numbers — 27,599 runs in 550 matches for India across formats. He stands as the third-highest run-scorer in international cricket and holds the record for the most centuries in ODI history.

In a rapid-fire round with BBC Sports Wales, Steve Smith was asked, “Who’s the greatest batsman of all time?” Without hesitation, he replied, “I’d go with Jacques Kallis… sorry, the greatest cricketer of all time is Jacques Kallis. Greatest batter of all time is probably Sachin Tendulkar.”

ALSO READ: Ravi Shastri Hails Virat Kohli’s Captaincy: A Golden Tenure That Redefined Indian Cricket

Kallis, the South African legend, enjoyed a 19-year career (1995–2014), scoring 25,534 runs and taking 577 wickets in 519 matches. Remarkably, he is one of the few players to surpass both 10,000 runs and 250 wickets in both Tests and ODIs, cementing his status as one of cricket’s most complete all-rounders.

When asked to name his bigger rival — India or England — Steve Smith didn’t hesitate: “England. They’re both huge rivals, but an Ashes, nothing beats it!”

Since making his debut in 2010, Smith has scored 48 centuries for Australia across formats. Yet, his personal favourite remains the 144-run masterpiece in the opening Test of the 2019 Ashes at Edgbaston — a knock that came under immense pressure and set the tone for the series.

ALSO READ: Ravichandran Ashwin Reveals How CSK Outplayed Rivals To Land Dewald Brevis

Currently, Smith is representing Welsh Fire in The Hundred, where he has scored 58 runs in three matches so far. He will soon switch focus to the highly anticipated 2025–26 Ashes series, where England and Australia will renew their historic rivalry.

Smith’s white-ball chapter is largely closed — he last played a T20I in February 2024 against New Zealand and has retired from ODI cricket. But his red-ball journey, much like the legends he admires, continues to captivate cricket fans around the world.