Stand-in Australia captain Steve Smith has raised eyebrows ahead of the upcoming Ashes 2025–26, questioning England’s strategy of banking heavily on raw pace instead of swing and seam movement. With England assembling one of their fastest bowling attacks in recent memory, Smith believes the tourists might be misreading what truly challenges batters on Australian pitches.

The first Test begins on November 21 in Perth, where England will enter without the veteran duo of James Anderson and Stuart Broad. In their absence, skipper Ben Stokes has placed his faith in express pacers Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue, and Brydon Carse. It marks a clear departure from England’s traditional bowling blueprint — one that Smith feels could backfire on the hard and often grass-covered Australian surfaces.

“Those sorts of nibblers can be quite tricky,” Steve Smith remarked, referring to the seam-and-swing bowlers who have historically succeeded Down Under. “They might have got things the wrong way around, if that makes sense, compared to the pace-heavy attacks of previous years.”

ALSO READ: Shubman Gill Calls Team India’s All-Rounder Depth A “Good Headache”

Smith admitted that England’s fast bowlers possess impressive firepower but cautioned that movement — either through the air or off the pitch — has often proved more effective than sheer speed in Australia. With conditions in recent years offering more grass and lateral movement, Smith suggested that “sometimes the slower guys are harder to play on those wickets where you have to make the pace.” He even joked that some pitches have been so green that “they have branches hanging off them.”

Backing Smith’s assessment, Mitchell Starc echoed concerns over the toll a pace-first approach might take on England’s bowlers during a long, gruelling summer. Meanwhile, cricket legends Ian Botham and Brett Lee have urged England to unleash both Wood and Archer in the opening Test, despite questions about their durability.

ALSO READ: On This Day: Rohit Sharma’s Record-Breaking 264 At Eden Gardens Rewrote ODI History

Smith himself enters the series in strong touch, having posted scores of 118, 57, and 56 not out in the Sheffield Shield. Reflecting on his recent form, he admitted, “I felt awful my first 20 runs — lost my hands for a little while but found them back.” The Aussie skipper also revealed he’s been testing new bats, adding, “They all felt a little different, but I think I’ve settled on one now.”

The Ashes will move across Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney, setting the stage for a fiercely contested new chapter in cricket’s greatest rivalry.