Steve Smith has played just two one-day internationals for Australia in the past two years but is refusing to give up on his dream of representing Australia at the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup on home soil.

Despite cementing himself in the Test team and emerging as a potential future leader in the Baggy Green, Smith's opportunities in the shorter formats have been limited: one ODI in January in each of the past two years and no T20 international since October 2011.

With the World Cup looming, Australia's ODI tri-series tour against South Africa and Zimbabwe takes on extra significance. Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Wayne Parnell have been in regular use with the ProBatter technology, and Smith is desperate for selection.

"With a few guys potentially not going to Zimbabwe, if I get an opportunity to go there hopefully I can have a good series and keep putting my foot forward," Smith told cricket.com.au.

"I was pretty happy with my performances in the Ryobi Cup and the Big Bash League when I played last year but it is my ambition to try and play all three forms for Australia."

David Warner has already been ruled out of the trip to Zimbabwe, given permission to stay home ahead of the birth of his first child. However, a squad has not yet been selected for that series.

Smith played a key role for Rajasthan Royals this season and is hoping that experience will stand him in good stead as he pushes for national honours.

"Hopefully I can keep improving and learning my game in the short form. The IPL was very good for that.

"I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Rajasthan and just to keep learning, learning how to pace an innings, and keep getting in those same situations. If I can do it once then I know I can do it again and keep learning from it."

Smith batted in seven innings for the Rajasthan Royals under Shane Watson's captaincy in this year's Indian Premier League, averaging 36.75 with a strike rate of 133.63 and a high score of 48 not out.

With no limited-overs involvement, his last appearance for Australia was in the epic Cape Town Test triumph, and has impressed CA's National Cricket Centre staff with his fitness and work-rate.

"It's been good to come up here with all the boys working hard together," said Smith.

"(Strength and Conditioning coach Damian Mednis) is really putting us through our paces.

"Last week was hard. The boys let their hair down on the weekend but we're back into it again and looking forward to another tough week again."

After the visit of Olympic champions swimmer Stephanie Rice and weightlifter Damon Kelly, the roll call of Australia's elite athletes continued today with former baseball pro Andy Utting refining throwing techniques.

Now Queensland Baseball's high performance manager, Utting was part of Australia's silver-medal winning team at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

With a flatter, harder throw sometimes the difference between affecting a run out or not, his work to help increase velocity and accuracy could one-day turn a match in Australia's favour.

"Baseballers throw every single day, all season long, so obviously they know how to throw very well and I think there's lots of experience that cricket can gain from baseball," said Utting.

"What I hope they took from today was some things they can use on an ongoing basis to include in their weekly training to help increase their throwing volume over time, help increase their velocity, help reduce the stress in their throwing movements so that they can throw more, train more without pulling up sore.

"Traditionally with cricket players, the front side in throwing movements is what I would probably call a little long, and they open up their front sides a little bit quick.

"I guess just because they don't throw as much as baseballers do and the influence of the bowling action. So I tried to tidy that up and keep their direction going towards their target."