Steve Smith - the bowler

[wilsonstheman]

Please correct me if i'm wrong , but when Steve Smith made his debut for Australia in the test arena, he was picked primarily as a leg spinner. I even seem to remember the great shane warne himself talking him up.

How does one go from this to being below someone like Aaron Finch in the bowling pecking order? Why is he not used more?

 

[Ok Boomer]

Because he is just a typical part time leggie now. Too unreliable for ODI's, only useful as a test partnership breaker.

 

[JezzasOnTheAsphalt]

He may have been primarily picked as a bowler when he first arrived onto the test arena but don't think there was any doubt in his mind that he was always a batsman. His batting obviously has taken off since and the bowling just stagnated.
Unless we are in some situation where we really need to buy a wicket and have plenty of runs to play with, he probably won't get used this World Cup.

 

[Alfonz]

He can bowl some good ones, but he'll have one or two long hops every over. If he practiced more, I think he could land them more consistently and wouldn't be much worse than Zampa. But I guess they think that would require too much work and negatively impact his batting.

 

[The Passenger]

Yeah he was originally picked as a front line leg spinner and did pick up 3 wickets on debut, bowling alongside Marcus North who picked up 6 himself.

 

[PhatBoy]

He was sh1t, that’s the short answer.

As I’ve said many times, legspin being what it is, people see a ripping leg break and assume that the guy delivering it is good. The truth is anyone can bowl a Gatting ball. That’s what leg spin involves. Go to the nets any day of the week at the local grounds and bowl four overs of leggies and you’re almost guaranteed to bowl a ripper.

It’s what happens in between that separates good bowlers from garbage ones and that is exemplified by Smith

 

[wilsonstheman]

some great points, still, it's hard to think of a bigger fall from grace for an international level bowler - batting aside

 

[The Passenger]

some great points, still, it's hard to think of a bigger fall from grace for an international level bowler - batting aside

The problem is Warne big's up just about spinner - especially if they bowl leggies - that comes into the state system.

If the team were picked off his hunches we'd be playing at least 6 bog standard spinners.

 

[Blue1980]

He was sh1t, that’s the short answer.

As I’ve said many times, legspin being what it is, people see a ripping leg break and assume that the guy delivering it is good. The truth is anyone can bowl a Gatting ball. That’s what leg spin involves. Go to the nets any day of the week at the local grounds and bowl four overs of leggies and you’re almost guaranteed to bowl a ripper.

It’s what happens in between that separates good bowlers from garbage ones and that is exemplified by Smith

Exactly, I thought he was a crap bowler who could slog a bit.

He then turned into one of the best batsmen Australia has seen. An unexpected turn of events

 

[Brunswick Trap King]

He was sh1t, that’s the short answer.

As I’ve said many times, legspin being what it is, people see a ripping leg break and assume that the guy delivering it is good. The truth is anyone can bowl a Gatting ball. That’s what leg spin involves. Go to the nets any day of the week at the local grounds and bowl four overs of leggies and you’re almost guaranteed to bowl a ripper.

It’s what happens in between that separates good bowlers from garbage ones and that is exemplified by Smith

Not me.

 

[PhatBoy]

Not me.

Lol, ALMOST

 

[Eternal Schism]

Don't forget Warner also recommended Michael Beer. A bloke who moved to WA for State gig because he couldn't make the Bushrangers squad being behind Bryce McGain and Jon Holland.

Smith's leggies we're nothing flash, like all low rate leg spin he found it hard to control where he pitched the ball. Lots of long hops and not hard to punish. Just didn't have the strategy and ability to set up batsmen with careful bowling like a good leggie can.

 

[Gough]

The search for the next Warne is like the search for the next Botham, it's never ending because you so rarely find players like that. For the most part it serves no other purpose in reality than giving us tragics something to talk about.

 

[Ohitsthatguy]

He's still better than Finch...

Probably better than Maxi too

 

[Hamingja]

People calling for him to bowl during the world cup must forget his recent elbow surgery.

 

[JackOutback]

The search for the next Warne is like the search for the next Botham, it's never ending because you so rarely find players like that. For the most part it serves no other purpose in reality than giving us tragics something to talk about.

Or the Australian Freddie Flintoff.

 

[corbies]

People calling for him to bowl during the world cup must forget his recent elbow surgery.

He did bowl during the World Cup warm up games tbf.

 

[Hamingja]

He bowled a couple of overs but he wouldn't be able to sustain a Maxwell like bowling work load.

 

[Ishikawa]

Don't forget Warner also recommended Michael Beer. A bloke who moved to WA for State gig because he couldn't make the Bushrangers squad being behind Bryce McGain and Jon Holland.

Smith's leggies we're nothing flash, like all low rate leg spin he found it hard to control where he pitched the ball. Lots of long hops and not hard to punish. Just didn't have the strategy and ability to set up batsmen with careful bowling like a good leggie can.

Beer was a decent offie. Selecting him as per Warne's wish immediately in that Ashes summer was pretty ludicrous, but he did go on to a very decent career at state level and if given the benefit of the sort of time Lyon got could have gone onto a fairly substantial Australian career.

 

[Kram]

The problem is Warne big's up just about spinner - especially if they bowl leggies - that comes into the state system.

If the team were picked off his hunches we'd be playing at least 6 bog standard spinners.

Unless your name is Steve O'Keefe.

 

[Damon_3388]

Beer was a decent offie. Selecting him as per Warne's wish immediately in that Ashes summer was pretty ludicrous, but he did go on to a very decent career at state level and if given the benefit of the sort of time Lyon got could have gone onto a fairly substantial Australian career.

Beer makes Lyon look like Murali. Innocuous doesn't begin to describe it.

 

[Damon_3388]

Smith bowls too much hittable trash, when he bowls. Pass.

 

[Richard Pryor]

Think he'd need to copy Afridi and start sending in darts to be any good as a part-time bowler. Proper legspin takes too much time to be a side gig.

 

[DaRick]

Beer was a decent offie. Selecting him as per Warne's wish immediately in that Ashes summer was pretty ludicrous, but he did go on to a very decent career at state level and if given the benefit of the sort of time Lyon got could have gone onto a fairly substantial Australian career.

Beer simply wasn't threatening enough on anything that wasn't a rank turner, plus he offered nothing with the bat or in the field. Lyon was a much better choice.

If anyone got screwed by Lyon's selection, it would have been Hauritz, and even then Lyon was the more talented bowler IMO.

Also Hauritz should never have been dropped for Beer/Doherty in the first place.

Beer makes Lyon look like Murali. Innocuous doesn't begin to describe it.

Doherty was even worse.

 

[corbies]

Think he'd need to copy Afridi and start sending in darts to be any good as a part-time bowler. Proper legspin takes too much time to be a side gig.

With his new action he's basically an imitation of Afridi now.