Given the fact that Steven Smith is included in the Australian Test team for the Ashes, I think he is mightily underused when it comes to the bowling department. I think this because when considering the reality that he is not a batsman with enough ability alone to warrant a Test place, one must accept that he needs to bowl more regularly in order to even slightly justify his place in the side.

Now, not for one moment am I suggesting or merely vindicating that his inclusion in the Test side (or even in the Limited over Internationals teams) is justifiable, but if he is to be included in the team his bowling needs to be taken advantage of and he himself needs to contribute with the ball because his batting is not worthy enough to deem him for international selection without contemplating other facets of his game. 

Moreover, I firmly believe that he is heavily ignored by Michael Clarke when it comes to what he offers with the ball as I believe, although it often proves expensive, his leg-spin bowling is a wicket-taking option (even more so in England which typically features pitches which spin upon the final days of a Test match), evident in the way he bundled out three English batsman late on Day 1 of the Lord's Ashes Test match. This is because he is able to generate copious amounts of turn (because of the amount of substantial amounts of revolutions he applies to the ball -even exceeding the amount produced by Graeme Swann on many an occasion) and is also able to bowl with some variety - the flipper he delivered to dismiss Matt Prior is an example of this.

Despite acknowledging that this may have a detrimental effect upon Ashton Agar's confidence (who, although apparently not so, may feel a little nervous having been brought in to attain a Baggy Green cap in his debut Test - both Ashes debut and regular debut - not to mention the fact that he is only 19 years of age), I still think it would be salubrious to the team's performance if he was given the ball with greater regularity, because, after all, the process of winning a Test match is done by acquiring all 20 of the opposition's wickets.

Discuss!