In becoming an NFT, Steve Smith is stumbling into a culture war he may not fully understand

‘Steve Smith might find that digital collectibles are more politically fraught than a baggy green.’ Photograph: Steve Bell/Getty Images

So it has come to this. The coda to a long and storied history of Australian cricket memorabilia, from Don Bradman’s baggy green to Channel Nine’s deep vault of autographed ephemera: Steve Smith is becoming an NFT.

In an Instagram post at the tail end of last week, the Australian vice-captain announced a partnership with Glorious Digital, a New Zealand NFT studio launched by All Blacks great Dan Carter. The studio plans to release a range of digital collectibles this month, with collaborators like Crowded House’s Neil Finn and the estate of Kiwi portrait and landscape artist Rita Angus.