Former Test paceman Steven Finn has named the player he thinks England should be wary of in the Ashes
Steven Finn has branded Steve Smith “probably the most influential person within Ashes series of the last 20 years” and warned England the stand-in Australia captain remains at his peak.
Much has been made of Australia’s supposed batting frailties, but they can count on the ever-dependable Smith, who will line up at No.4 and lead the side in the first Test in Pat Cummins’ absence.
The 36-year-old has 12 centuries in 37 Tests against England, while he is the only two-time recipient of the Compton-Miller Medal after averaging more than 100 in both the 2017-18 and 2019 series.
England managed to keep him relatively quiet in 2023, when he averaged 37, and the experiment of him opening the batting last year backfired but he is back to churning out the runs from the middle order.
Finn, the former England fast bowler who starred in the 2010-11 Ashes series win in Australia and who is now working as a TNT Sports pundit, said: “I’d say he’s still at the peak of his powers.
“He has that desire and hunger to score runs and is probably the most influential person within Ashes series of the last 20 years, if you think of the amount of ridiculous performances that he’s had.
“He loves the pressure and environment of the Ashes and he will be determined – this could be his last home Ashes – to make sure that his memories of it are positive from a personal and team perspective.
“I would be very, very wary of Steve Smith if I was England.”
Smith went 23 innings without a century between June 2023 and December 2024, but has four in his last eight Tests during a period where he has also passed the 10,000-run mark in the longest format.
Smith marked his first outing in the Sheffield Shield a fortnight ago with 118 for NSW and made two fifties this week in his final matches before the first Test, starting in Perth on November 21.
Finn, who dismissed Smith three times in five Tests, said: “He seems to have found peace within his batting. He’s moved back to his favourable position of No.4.
“He doesn’t seem as obsessed with cricket as maybe he used to be, which I think at his age is something that’s healthy, to keep that fight and desire when you’re out there in the middle.”
Finn believes one of the most intriguing subplots of the upcoming series will be how Smith fares against Jofra Archer, who has never dismissed the Australia batter but famously hit him on the helmet with a 92mph bouncer at Lord’s which led to him missing the following match with concussion.
“It could be a pivotal moment within the series,” Finn added. “But what I think we’re going to see is both players believing that they can win that situation, which will be riveting to watch.”
The big question facing Usman Khawaja heading into the Ashes is not whether he can get to the finish line but if he can retire while still earning his keep.
Unless he gets a string of single-figure scores in the first three Tests, it’s highly unlikely the gun-shy national selection panel will pull the pin on Khawaja’s career.
With young gun Sam Konstas in a form slump, first Test squad member Jake Weatherald and Queensland’s Matt Renshaw appear to be the only other viable options to open along with Marnus Labuschagne, if he is promoted from first drop.
Victoria’s Campbell Kellaway is on the way up and his state coach, former Test opener Chris Rogers, sung his praises on Thursday following his courageous display against Mitchell Starc.
However, George Bailey and co are risk averse. They will only bring in a debutant or two in the form of Weatherald and back-up quick Brendan Doggett if they absolutely have no other choice.
Khawaja has had one of the more unusual Test careers.
He is the only player left from England’s last Ashes triumph (series or match) in Australia when he made his debut in the dead rubber fifth Test at the SCG at the start of 2011.
Such was the dire state of the Australian team at that low point that his encouraging first-up effort of 37 was near enough being hailed as the second coming of Bradman in some hyperbolic quarters.
A prodigious talent and prolific run-scorer when he came through the junior representative pathways at NSW, the left-hander made just one half-century in his first six Tests that year and spent more than 12 months in the wilderness before he was recalled for the 2013 Ashes.
But he was dropped again three matches later after making several starts but no big scores but when he had a third crack at Test cricket in 2015, he feasted on the New Zealand and West Indies attacks to peel off four centuries in as many matches.
At last, the wunderkind was ready to conquer the world.
But over the next four years he never did take that next step into the upper echelon of the best Test batters – in 30 Tests, he registered just four centuries, an average average of 36.58 and lost his spot midway through the 2019 Ashes after the emergence of Labuschagne.
Usman Khawaja. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
It looked like his international career was over but after an undeniable weight of runs for his adopted state Queensland at Sheffield Shield level, he replaced Marcus Harris at opener, coming into the team in a full circle moment in Sydney in an Ashes Test.
Aged 35, he finally realised his worldie potential.
Over the next 18 months he plundered every bowling attack in all sorts of conditions.
In those 18 Tests, he piled up 1827 runs at 67.66 with eight hundreds and seven half-centuries.
During that purple patch, on average it took more than 139 deliveries before his rock-like defences were brought undone.
Unfortunately for him, the past two years have been a prolonged period of under-achievement, raising questions about whether he still deserves his place in the line-up amid a protracted farewell tour similar to the one that his good mate David Warner was allowed by the selectors in the twilight of his career.
In his past 22 Tests, he’s cobbled together 1339 at 33.47 with his 232 at Galle in February the only time in the six times that he has passed 50 that he’s converted into triple figures.
It must be noted too that two other Australians hit centuries in that innings as the tourists amassed a whopping 6-654 against an anaemic attack before declaring.
He’s only lasting 74.9 deliveries before each dismissal, slightly more than half of what he was averaging during his peak period.
In the recent Shield rounds, he’s been serviceable without being outstanding with scores of 69, 46, 0 and 87.
Jake Weatherald. (Photo by Steve Bell/Getty Images)
The main problem at Test level for Khawaja over the past couple of seasons has been his inability to occupy the crease when confronted with high-class pace bowling.
Jasprit Bumrah claimed his wicket six times in five Tests while nine other seamers have dismissed him on multiple occasions. He’s only been out to spinners five times.
Ben Stokes stated on Wednesday that the Poms were toying with the idea of playing both Jofra Archer and Mark Wood in Perth next Friday.
It should be a fait accompli – that would mean there is no escape for Khawaja when he’s got 150km/h thunderbolts from each end on the bounciest wicket in the country.
With Josh Tongue, Brydon Carse and Gus Atkinson are in the mix to form their attack at Optus Stadium, the visitors are not necessarily the best attack going around in world cricket but they have the potential to do plenty of damage.
Despite Wood’s hamstring scare on Thursday in their warm-up match against their Lions at Lilac Hill, it appears England are going with a four-pronged pace attack in Perth with Ben Stokes to be a fifth strike option and Joe Root’s off-spinners to soak up some overs.
Then the caravan moves to a day-nighter at the Gabba which will also not help Khawaja’s cause.
Khawaja turns 39 during the third Test in Adelaide – if he’s struggled in the first couple of matches and cannot find form at this batting paradise, he should be told it’s time to go.
Usman Khawaja walks off after being dismissed by Jasprit Bumrah. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
But as Steve Waugh said last week, Bailey “hasn’t really had the appetite to make some tough calls”.
Waugh himself had to deal with constant media speculation over his place in the side before he was able to go out on his own terms in the SCG Test of 2004.
It would be great if Khawaja is able to do so – he’s been a unique presence in and around the Australian team for the best part of 14 years.
Never afraid to speak his mind about on and off-field issues, he will be an asset for Australian cricket in his retirement with his forthright views and his Pakistani heritage helping grow the South Asian population in the sport nationwide.
But he has to perform better with the bat because he’s surely used up all his credits with the Australian selectors by now.