Australia's stand-in captain Steven Smith has suggested that England's pace-heavy bowling strategy may not be the best suited for Australian conditions ahead of the Ashes series. Smith believes bowlers who rely on seam movement could pose a greater threat on lively Australian pitches than those depending purely on express pace. England have assembled their fastest bowling line-up in decades, featuring Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue, and Brydon Carse, most capable of exceeding 145 km/h. This represents a notable departure from previous tours when James Anderson and Stuart Broad, now both retired, depended on swing and seam rather than raw speed. Smith's comments follow Mitchell Starc's recent observation about the challenges England's quicks will face maintaining intensity on harder Australian surfaces. Smith himself enters the series in strong form, having scored 118, 57, and 56 not out in recent Sheffield Shield matches for New South Wales.
Smith Favours Seam Movement Over Raw Pace
Steven Smith indicated that bowlers extracting movement off the pitch might challenge batsmen more effectively than those relying solely on speed. He remarked that slower bowlers who 'nibble' the ball can be trickier on Australian wickets where batsmen must generate pace themselves. Smith joked that Australian pitches have become so green they have branches hanging off them. He acknowledged England's current fast-bowling resources, noting those players were not fit, ready, or experienced enough during previous tours. Smith emphasized that while doing both—pace and movement—is valuable, the ability to move the ball can sometimes prove more difficult to handle. He expressed confidence that Australia possess batsmen capable of playing fast bowling well.
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