Steve Smith not convinced with England’s all-pace attack, believes it is not the right way to go on these pitches.
Steve Smith: England’s all-out pace may not be ideal Ashes attack.
Steve Smith believes that nibbling seamers would be a greater threat on Australia’s lively wickets, suggesting that England’s pace battery would not be the best attacking strategy for the Ashes.
With nearly every member of the cartel capable of reaching speeds of over 145 kph/90 mph, England’s fastest bowling lineup this century has arrived for the summer.
Alongside captain Ben Stokes, the tourists are led by Mark Wood and Jofra Archer, with help from Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue, and Brydon Carse.
Stuart Broad and James Anderson, who are now retired, have long relied on swing and seam, so this is a big cry from England’s typical attack in Australia.
Additionally, Smith thinks that a more conventional seamer would be more difficult to deal with on current wickets and that the tourists’ timing may be off, despite the excitement surrounding England’s quicks.
“Those sort of nibblers can be quite tricky,” Smith, who will captain Australia in Perth, said. “So they might have got things the wrong way around, if that makes sense, in terms of the pace from previous years.
“But obviously they’ve got those guys at their disposal now. They probably weren’t fit, ready or old enough a few years back.”
Broad retired during the final Test of the 2023 Ashes, and Anderson’s Test career ended in 2024 with a farewell match against the West Indies.
Chris Woakes has subsequently retired from international cricket after dislocating his shoulder during the last Test match against India in early August, ending his ambitions of winning the Ashes.
Smith responded that it was easier to deal with all-out pace than seamers on home decks when asked directly.
“If you can do both, that’s a good skill,” Smith said. “But sometimes the slower guys are almost harder to play on those wickets where you have to make the pace.
“It’s going to be different. But I think we’ve got plenty of players that play fast bowling well, and it’s going to be a good challenge.”