Smith admits surprise over Broad selection calls

Steve Smith has been as surprised as Stuart Broad is dismayed at the latter’s omission on two lively surfaces the England fast bowler believes have been perfectly suited to his bowling.

The reunion of the star pace duo that has conjured dread for a generation of Australian batters is on the cards should England recall Broad to partner fellow veteran Jimmy Anderson for only the second time in this Vodafone Ashes series.

That his selection may come for an SCG Test that will have no bearing on the series result and after he was left out for England defeats at the Gabba and the MCG where seam bowlers thrived has been the source of considerable frustration for Broad.

“As a wobble-seam bowler, I feel as though I missed out on two of the best wobble-seam pitches in Australia,” Broad wrote in the Daily Mail on Sunday. “Only playing once has made this a very disappointing trip, one that has not met my personal expectations.

“The biggest frustration is losing the Ashes, being 3-0 down and feeling like I've not really done anything. Not being able, as an experienced player, to influence a series while it's live is tough.

“I would argue that I won't get a better chance to take wickets than at Brisbane and Melbourne.”

If seam bowling was taught at tertiary institutions, Broad would write the textbook.

The 35-year-old even counts Australian fast bowlers among his disciples, with both Peter Siddle and James Pattinson having prospered from one-on-one tutorials with him at his county side Nottinghamshire.

“Having that time with Broady and chatting to him first-hand, rather than just watching him bowl it, how he holds it, how it feels, how to release it (was beneficial),” Siddle told ESPN in 2019.

Yet the likes of Chris Woakes, Ollie Robinson, Mark Wood and then Anderson (who also missed out in Brisbane) were preferred over Broad for the first and third Tests.

In between he played his 150th career Test in Adelaide, which offered the least bowler-friendly pitch so far this series, taking a wicket in each innings.

“We have been a bit surprised,” Smith said today when asked about Broad’s omissions. “Two wickets that would have suited him pretty well.

“He bowled well in Adelaide. He’s always been a good contest for me. He’s got me out quite few times, I’ve scored some runs off him so it’s been a decent battle.

“They’ve got quality bowlers. Him and Jimmy together are two world class performers, they have been for a long time.

“Maybe we’ll see them out here together this week, I’m not sure.”

It comes after David Warner, with a hint of cheek, admitted after Australia secured the Ashes in Melbourne that “from our perspective, I think it’s great he (Broad) is not playing.”

His relief at not having to face Broad for much of the series was based on the left-hander’s struggles against him in the UK in 2019 having been dismissed by him a remarkable seven times in five Tests.

There was consensus before this summer’s rematch from both those players that Broad would not find anywhere near the same amount of seam movement as he did on his home decks.

Yet England captain Joe Root’s admission today however that pitches for this ongoing Ashes campaign have been markedly different, and more seam-friendly, than anything he had seen on previous tours in 2013-14 and 2017-18 only adds to the mystery of Broad’s lack of action.

Adding to that is an enviable (by comparison at least to other England bowlers tried) record during those two preceding tours down under; Broad’s 32 wickets is not only one more than Anderson managed but also came at better average (34.46) than any other England bowler bar Ben Stokes, whose 15 scalps at 32.80 came as he leaked runs at 4.21 per over.

Whether that counts in Broad’s favour for Sydney is still unclear, with Root not certain as to whether the track will be as helpful for bowlers as previous Tests.

“You never know until you play on it,” he told reporters. “(We) have to adapt to what is in front of you.”

As for Broad’s future beyond this Ashes tour – England’s next Test series is a three-match tour against the West Indies, before hosting New Zealand and South Africa – he insists his dissatisfaction in Australia will not influence him.

“Has it affected my hunger to play Test cricket? No,” wrote Broad.

“There is a long time between now and the tour of the Caribbean in March and I have never been one to make emotional decisions. So I'm not going to make any spur of the moment calls on my future.”

Vodafone Men's Ashes

Squads

Australia: Pat Cummins (c), Steve Smith (vc), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Nic Maddinson, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner

England: Joe Root (c), James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Haseeb Hameed, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

Schedule

First Test: Australia won by nine wickets

Second Test: Australia won by 275 runs

Third Test: Australia won by an innings and 14 runs

Fourth Test: January 5-9, SCG

Fifth Test: January 14-18, Blundstone Arena