Australia bowling coach David Saker wants Steve Smith to bowl more

Bowling coach David Saker feels that Steve Smith should give himself more opportunity to bowl. Smith, who made it to the Australian team as a leg-spinning all-rounder under the captaincy of Ricky Ponting, transformed into a full-time batsman leaving behind his bowling skills. As his batting abilities matured, Smith began bowling lesser and lesser before eventually becoming a sort of part-time bowler who fill in for tired bowlers.

“I’d like to see him bowl more, without a doubt. He got picked for Australia originally as a spin bowler and I’d like to see him bowl more,” Saker said after Pakistan finished day two at the MCG on 6-310.

Saker, the former England bowling coach, also revealed that he had no idea about the injury Smith inflicted. Smith and fellow part-timer Nic Maddinson bowled a total of six overs today, the same number as frontline off-spinner Nathan Lyon on day two of the second Commonwealth Bank Test, another frustrating day that featured just 50.3 overs and only two successes for Australia.

The day had to be called off before the official time due to persistent rain delays. The skipper was seen clutching his left side early in his brief spell today, but he continued to bowl from the southern end and Saker said he was not aware of any injury problems.

“I’ve got no knowledge of any injury. I did see him feeling his side, especially in that first over. I think he’s just a little bit stiff and hasn’t bowled much.”

Under Ricky Ponting’s captaincy, took 13 wickets from 109 overs in 25 Tests under the leadership of Michael Clarke between 2013 and 2015, when he was picked primarily as a batsman. But in 19 Tests in which Smith himself has led the side, he’s taken just one wicket from 35 overs bowled.

Lyon’s under usage made Clarke and former Test wicketkeeper Ian Healy question Smith’s tactics. This debate actually comes after the earlier controversy where Smith was criticised for using Lyon as more like a backup option.

But Saker said two factors worked against Lyon on Tuesday, namely the condition of the ball and the fact that the majority of Pakistan’s batting order is right-handed.

“The wet ball played a big part in that,” Saker said of Lyon’s absence from the bowling crease. He probably would have got more of a go in that last session if we didn’t come off (for rain).

“But they’ve also played him quite well, especially their right-handers and they’ve got mainly right-handers. Particularly Azhar Ali plays him extremely. There are different reasons for (Lyon not bowling much) and we think on that wicket right now, our seamers are more likely to get a wicket. But we’d like to get more overs out of our spinners, for sure.”