'Real shame': Swepson urges Australia to give spinners a chance
05 Jan 2026

Mitchell Swepson, the Australian leg-spinner with four Test caps, has expressed his disappointment over the national selectors' growing trend of ignoring front-line spinners.

He also called on curators and officials to stop preparing pitches that heavily favor seam bowlers.

The call comes as Australia went without a specialist spinner in three of the five matches in Ashes 2025-26 - a first in 138 years.

Australia's recent trend of playing without spinners
Trend analysis

Australia have now gone without a spinner in four out of their last six Tests.

This is a stark contrast to the period between April 2013 and June 2023, when Australia fielded a spinner in all but one of their 120 Tests.

Swepson said, "I'm obviously biased, but I think we've seen it coming in Sheffield Shield cricket," referring to this worrying trend.

Swepson's call for more spin bowling in Test cricket
Spin advocacy

Swepson lamented the lack of spin bowlers in certain regions of Australia, saying it has started to reflect in the Test arena.

He said, "We're seeing greener wickets and seam being the main source of wickets," adding that it's a shame because "there's definitely a spot for spin bowling in Test cricket."

He recalled watching legends Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill bowl at SCG and hoped to see more spin bowling return to the game.

Spinners' contribution in Ashes series
Performance review

In the first four Ashes Tests, spinners from both Australia and England have bowled only 14.2% of the overs.

They have collectively taken just nine wickets.

This low contribution further highlights Swepson's concerns about the lack of opportunities for spin bowlers in international cricket.

It must be noted that pacers have dominated this series as two of the first four Tests ended within a couple of days.

CA's potential intervention in pitch preparation
Intervention possibility

Cricket Australia (CA) is considering intervening to ensure pitches are prepared for Tests that last into days four and five.

This comes after an estimated AUD15 million loss due to shortened Ashes contests this summer.

"It's a real shame and I'd love to see it come back that way," Swepson said as quoed by ESPNcricinfo, adding that some parts of the country need to be willing to prepare such wickets.

Swepson's thoughts on spin bowlers and future prospects
Future outlook

Swepson believes that not picking spin bowlers will hurt Australia in the long run.

He was disappointed that Todd Murphy missed out on Tests in Melbourne and Sydney.

"The best way you learn is experience and getting out there and playing," he said, stressing the importance of gaining experience at this level for young players like Murphy.