Amid Australia's dominant sweep of the three-match T20I series against New Zealand, attention shifts to Steve Smith's place in the T20 World Cup 2024 squad amidst his lackluster performances in the New Zealand series.

Scoring only 15 runs across two matches, Smith's batting struggles have cast doubts on his selection for the T20I squad. Compounding the uncertainty, teammate Matthew Wade recently acknowledged the uphill battle for Smith to secure a berth in the World Cup squad. In response to these speculations, Smith expressed his opinion regarding his World Cup prospects, 'Look, it wasn't ideal, but it is what it is, and whatever will be, will be from here. I'm not sure what (selectors) want to do. I'm not too fussed either way. If I'm there, I'm there. If I'm not, I'm not,' said Smith while speaking to AAP. 'I got a couple of decent balls to be fair. (Adam) Milne got one to take off in the second game, which was tough. Lockie, when that sun was setting, it was quite difficult to pick up and he gave me a nice in-swinger,' he added. Following David Warner's retirement, the 34-year-old cricketer has been elevated to the opening position in Test cricket. Smith characterized the move as 'fun' and highlighted his comfort with batting at a higher position in the batting order. 'It's fun, but honestly I don't see it as anything different. I batted at three for an extended part of my career and I batted at four, where I've been in inside of two overs. It's really nothing that new to me,' he explained. The T20I series against New Zealand marked Australia's final assignment before the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, scheduled to commence in June. The Australian selection committee faces a challenging task in assembling their squad for the prestigious tournament, particularly considering the recent strong performances by certain players.