Steve Smith believes England have big boots to fill for the Ashes after losing Jack Leach to a lower back stress fracture.
England could try to tempt Moeen Ali out of Test retirement with the Ashes series starting at Edgbaston on June 16, or stick to a seam attack.
Australia vice-captain Smith believes spinner Leach’s absence leaves a sizeable chasm in England’s bowling armoury, as the five-Test grudge series hurtles into view.
Smith is eyeing the “bucket list” targets of winning both a first Ashes series in England and the 50-over World Cup in India this autumn, with no plans to mirror team-mate David Warner, who has set the date for his retirement next year.
Australia’s World Test Championship final showdown with India at The Oval starts on Wednesday, with Smith buoyed by a hectic summer ahead.
“The news of Jack Leach broke yesterday and it’s a real shame,” said Smith. “He’s done really well for England the last 12, 18 months in particular.
“It’s going to be some big shoes for them to fill, I don’t know which way they will go. Obviously I feel for him and hopefully he recovers well.”
Warner has already set out his retirement timeline for next year, but the 34-year-old Smith has no similar intentions.
Asked if he has any plans akin to the 36-year-old Warner, Smith replied: “No, no. It’s nice to have an end date, if that’s the way you want to go.
“But we’ve all got to be doing our jobs, and as batters that’s scoring runs. That’s when he’s said he’d like to finish up. But he’s got to score runs, all of us too, so we’ll see what happens.
“The Ashes series here, it’s one that’s eluded us, we’ve got close here but couldn’t quite get it over the line. That’s certainly something I’d love to tick off my bucket list, winning a series here.”
Australia spent Monday morning practising at The Oval, but were delayed arriving thanks to a Just Stop Oil protest on London’s roads.
It’s certainly something I’d love to tick off my bucket list, winning an Ashes series here
The climate change pressure group continue to disrupt rush hour across the capital’s roads, and are determined to protest at more sporting events, after a pitch invasion at the Gallagher Premiership final at Twickenham last weekend.
Asked how he would handle any interruption across the summer, Smith added: “Honestly, l have no idea, so I’ll wait and see and play it by ear.”
Test match cricket remains under serious pressure from rival formats, with suggestions continuing to swirl around year-round contracts for short-format competitions. Smith hailed the World Test Championship as adding vital relevance to the Test landscape, insisting the five-day format can still flourish in future.
“This match is really important, I think it’s great to see the two best teams in the final,” said Smith. “We’ve played some really good cricket in the last few years to get into the final to play India, so absolutely, we believe we can win.
“This hopefully adds a bit more relevance to Test cricket, and it’s what we’ve worked towards in the last two years. I am slightly concerned (for the future of Test cricket), but hopefully Tests will stay alive and well.
“I think Test cricket’s in a good place at the moment, some of the games we’ve seen recently have been pretty amazing. I’m a traditionalist, so I hope it remains at the front of all the boards’ minds, and I hope it stays alive and well for some time to come.”
