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Ex-England cricketer slams The Ashes; rues lack of spin in ‘one-dimensional’ Tests

Soumyajit Dutta

The Ashes urn and Mike Atherton [Source: @mufaddal_vohra/X]The Ashes urn and Mike Atherton [Source: @mufaddal_vohra/X]

The Ashes Test series in Australia has been largely one-dimensional, according to former England cricketer Michael Atherton. Notably, only nine wickets across the four matches in the series have been taken by spin bowlers.

Both England and Australia chose not to field frontline spinners for the final Test at the SCG. England left out Shoaib Bashir for all five Tests and instead opted for Will Jacks for his all-round value.

Australia, meanwhile, had Nathan Lyon available for only two matches before a hamstring injury ruled him out of the remainder of the Ashes.

The shocking frontline spin omissions in The Ashes

While Todd Murphy could have been a valuable option on the traditionally spin-friendly SCG pitch, Steve Smith and his team ignored the selection, citing that seam movement and surface cracks would play a bigger role in the match.

As a result, Australia fielded a playing XI at the Sydney Cricket Ground without a frontline spinner for the first time since 1888. This decision prompted Atherton to reflect on the growing one-dimensional nature of the modern game.

Michael Atherton laments lack of spin in The Ashes

Speaking on the Sky Sports Cricket podcast, Atherton questioned the spin snubs and suggested that playing five seamers was not an ideal choice for the SCG surface.

“It means the cricket we have seen in this series has been a bit one-dimensional. Looking at the pitch [on day one in Sydney] you wouldn't say it offered enough for five seamers but that is not to say it is going to turn on the last day either. We will have to wait and see,” Atherton said.

While discussing spin options, he added that if Nathan Lyon had been fit, he would likely have played the final Test, with Todd Murphy still missing out.

“[Not picking a spinner] may be a reflection on Murphy - if Lyon had been fit, I imagine he might have played. Murphy is not a bad bowler but he is no Lyon,” Atherton added.

Atherton speaks spin value of the SCG pitch

Commenting on the nature of modern-day pitches, Atherton said they now offer very little variety and have become increasingly uniform, limiting assistance for spinners.

“Pitches have become more uniform and less varied, partly because of the drop-ins at the multi-sport grounds like Brisbane and Adelaide,” Atherton added.

“Sydney used to be the outlier in terms of spin and if that's gone the way of the other grounds in terms of more grass left on there is a lack of variety, and that is not necessarily a good thing for the game. The conditions have changed. It used to be a slow, low turner at the SCG,” Atherton said.

"I listened to Steve Smith's pre-match press conference, and he said at the start of his career you'd get games going deep into the last day and there would be a lot of reverse swing and spin,’ concluded the ex-cricketer.

Although spin bowling remains crucial to Test cricket, Atherton’s remarks highlighted how flatter, seam-friendly pitches now dominate the game.

Nearly eight to ten years ago, spinners were far more threatening, yet in this Ashes series, only 783 deliveries were bowled by spinners, who averaged a high 56.55.