Nathan Lyon's not ending international careers this summer. It's Steve Smith

At the beginning of this summer, Nathan Lyon announced he was hoping to end some English careers – nostalgically thinking of the 2013-14 series which neutered the playing lives of Matt Prior, Jonathan Trott, Graeme Swan, and Kevin Pietersen.

After the third Test it looked as though Alastair Cook and Stuart Broad could be such victims, but both bounced back. Some claim Moeen Ali might be gone for good after what’s been a terrible tour, but he’s only young, and he’s been playing without Stokes on Australian wickets – I think Ali will play a lot more Test cricket, just not here.

The real killer of international careers this summer hasn’t been the Australian bowlers. It’s been Steve Smith.

And the victims haven’t been English, they’ve been Australian: Ed Cowan, Peter Nevill, Matthew Wade and Glenn Maxwell.

Ed Cowan
Ed Cowan is a nuggety batsman, with a so-so Test record who’s had some very solid years in the Shield recently.

He was left out of the NSW team at the beginning of the summer for batsmen with inferior records who are considered to have greater Test prospects: Daniel Hughes and Nic Maddinson. Smith was heavily involved in this decision.

Though beloved by a section of Australian cricket fans because he’s so, well, darn smart, even Cowan admitted his chances of an international recall were slim (he isn’t a pretty strokemaker; he was close to Mickey Arthur and has criticised Darren Lehmann a few times).

But his dropping still felt yuck, especially when Hughes and Maddinson failed to fire, and the Australian selectors recalled Shaun Marsh to the Test side, even though he’s only a year younger than Cowan and averages less in first class cricket.

Australian Test cricket gets a lot of its strength from the high standard of the Sheffield Shield, and that’s maintained not by the superstars, but by the tough old veterans like Cowan who hang in there.

Maybe Cowan never would have played for Australia again but why take that dream away? Especially when he’s been playing so well in the Sheffield Shield. If Maddinson and Hughes are truly international prospects, they’ll be able to out-bat Cowan. They’ll get there by outperforming veterans, not being gifted spots.

To make matters worse, Cameron White and Michael Klinger, two other veterans in good form, were both dropped from state sides, indicating their international prospects are now non-existent as well. It’s a very dangerous thing to do and when everyone’s looking around in a few years time wondering why Australia isn’t improving, well this will be a reason.
(Fortunately both Cowan and White are back playing Sheffield Shield).

There was an unpleasant undercurrent over the Cowan axing because you feel Darren Lehmann dislikes him – Cowan got one Test after Lehmann took over and then got the boot. In return Cowan has criticised Lehmann and his son too. Now Smith has come in and helped send Cowan on his way.

[latest_videos_strip category=”cricket” name=”Cricket”]

Peter Nevill
Peter Nevill’s international career was pretty much killed when he was overlooked for the Australian team in the first Test.

Neville was turfed last summer for Matthew Wade – mostly at the behest of Smith, who liked Wade’s loudness. Wade couldn’t make the position his own – but at the beginning of this summer Neville couldn’t put together a big score with the bat to tip him over the edge. Neither could Wade or Alex Carey.

If Smith had wanted Neville, surely Neville would be in the side but instead they went with Tim Paine as a sort of compromise candidate, even though he wasn’t keeping for his state. Paine’s made a success of the role and is now keeping in all three formats.

Neville only had one Test where he wasn’t batting after Mitch Marsh, which must have affected his batting form, but if Smith doesn’t rate him as a keeper… I guess that is Smith’s prerogative. There is only one spot for a keeper.

Still, I really feel for Neville. He must feel awful that Smith, a state teammate, has so low an opinion of him.

(AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

Matthew Wade
Matthew Wade’s international career seems now dead as well. He was lucky to get his Test spot back to be honest, and was given a decent run of it. But it’s hard to see him ever coming back to national honours. If Paine gets injured or makes a hash of things, Alex Carey looks to be next in line.

Matthew Wade had a decent second go in the team and can’t really whinge, though he probably feels differently. But it is another international career that’s bitten the dust this summer.

Glenn Maxwell
And then there’s Glenn Maxwell, omitted for the one day squad. Now, Maxwell’s been dropped before, and it’s true his recent ODI form hasn’t been great. But what is new is Smith slagging off Maxwell’s attitude at training via press conference.

What’s also new is the fact his replacement, Chris Lynn, has a poor domestic one day record, has a long history of injuries and isn’t anywhere near Maxwell’s class as a fielder and doesn’t offer a bowling option, and Maxwell is coming off some great domestic form.

(AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

People have suspected for a while that Darren Lehmann doesn’t rate Maxwell – he’s never had the chances of, say, the Marshes, and Lehmann’s slagged off Maxwell in public. Now it seems Smith doesn’t like him either.

The Maxwell decision also feels unpleasant because it’s so obviously personal. Maxwell hasn’t been replaced by say Shaun Marsh or Usman Khawaja, who have excellent one day form at domestic level, he’s been booted by someone who’s good at Twenty20 and is protected in the field. Maxwell could fight his way back into the international arena – he’s done it before – but I feel it’s going to be challenging, and I’d put him in grave doubt for the South African tour, which seems absurd.

And what sort of captain bags a (former) teammate’s training at a press conference? A real leader does that in private. If it’s ignored then complain about it in private, don’t embarrass people.

Steve Smith could be one of the greatest batsmen in history. He’s shown an incredible capacity to destroy opposition teams. He’s also developing a capacity to destroy the international dreams of his countrymen.

Wade and Neville I guess I can understand but Cowan and Maxwell feels mean. I only hope he genuinely meant it when he said he hoped to see Matt Renshaw and Peter Handscomb back in the Test side because his captaincy is becoming increasingly marked by the careers its ended instead of the ones its created.