Category News

Stuart Broad has admitted he still does not know how to get Steve Smith out and says the Ashes will be a “long series” if England cannot dismiss the Australia batter early.

Smith, 36, is one of the best batters of the modern era and averages 56.01 in Ashes cricket with 12 hundreds.

The right-hander, who has played in every Ashes series since 2010-11, was the leading run-scorer in the 2017-18 and 2019 contests – with 687 and 774 runs respectively – when former bowler Broad was in England’s ranks.

“I remember he got this big two hundred [239 in Perth in 2017] and I did not miss the middle of his bat for three days,” Broad said on the For the Love of Cricket podcast.

“Every ball I tried to bowl just hit the middle of his bat.

“He’s got that mindset of ‘OK, this pitch suits me, and I’m not getting out’.”

Broad dismissed Smith 11 times in Tests – three more than any other bowler – but is no closer to settling on a weakness.

Smith’s career average of 56.02 rises to 59.70 when batting at home. Only the great Ricky Ponting (41) has scored more than Smith’s 36 Test centuries for Australia.

Broad said: “Obviously [Smith’s] technique’s changed throughout, but I still can’t sit here and go ‘well this is how you get him out’.

Smith’s form dipped slightly between June 2023 and December 2024 when he went 23 innings without a Test hundred, but he made two against India last winter and hit 141 and 131 against Sri Lanka at the start of 2025.

After a two-month break, he began his build-up to this year’s Ashes in late October and scored 118 in his first innings.

“To win the series, we have to keep him [his average] to under 50, don’t we?” Broad said.

“He’s gonna score a hundred, it’s what he does.

“[If] he averages 40, that’s at least 15 under his career average, so you’re doing brilliantly. I think you have to get him early.

“If England aren’t celebrating in his first 40 runs, it’s going to be a long series.”

England have had various plans to counter Smith’s unconventional technique over 14 years of Ashes series.

Broad spoke of developing a new outswinger for Smith before the 2023 series while England have targeted Smith’s pads, bowled wide of off stump and even bowled for catches at leg gully in 2019 – a series Smith began with twin hundreds at Edgbaston.

“I remember Jason Roy was fielding there at leg gully, and he was diving left and right for the first 30 balls, just missing him there, just missing him there,” Broad said.

“Smith got away, got two hundreds in that game, unbelievable innings.”

Broad added: “I remember sitting in a bowlers’ meeting about Steve Smith in 2017-18 and they were like ‘oh, you could try and attack his stumps early’.

“‘Oh yeah, can we just click on how many times he’s been bowled in Australia in the last five years?’ Once.”

The upcoming series, which begins in Perth on Friday (02:30 GMT), looks set to see Smith face Jofra Archer for the first time in Tests since 2019, when he was famously unsettled and struck by a bouncer during the England paceman’s fierce spell at Lord’s.

Smith has always been keen to point out Archer did not dismiss him in that Test – he had to retire hurt and was out lbw to Chris Woakes on his return – though Archer did have the right-hander caught on the pull in a one-day international in 2024.

“Can Jofra Archer be that guy?” Broad said. “Nicking him off from back of a length, just chasing it.

Norwich City have appointed former Rangers manager Philippe Clement as their head coach on a three-and-a-half-year contract.

The Belgian, 51, replaces Liam Manning, who was sacked after just 17 games in charge following a 2-1 home defeat by Leicester City on 8 November.

The Canaries are second from bottom of the Championship with nine points from 15 games and have lost all eight home matches in the league and cup this season.

“I’ve known of this club for a long time and, whilst we are not in a good moment at this time, we are excited to work together with the players and staff to turn things around,” Clement told the club website.

“Meeting with the owners and hearing some of their ambitions for the club, it really convinced me that this is the best move.

“They have big plans for the future but, of course, our job in the short term is to turn around the current situation and get everyone believing again.”

Clement was sacked by Rangers in February after 16 months in charge at Ibrox, during which they won the Scottish League Cup in 2024 and twice reached the last 16 of the Europa League.

He achieved a 64% win record and afterwards posted on X: “It has taken me a few days to fully process and accept the end of my time with this exceptional club.

“I leave with a heavy heart, frustrated and disappointed that I couldn’t consistently bring the team to the level we all expected. I understand your frustrations, and I share them.”

He later told BBC Radio Scotland’s Sacked In The Morning podcast “total chaos” in the boardroom, including the departures of the chief executive and chairman, had hampered his efforts to take on Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership.

Clement was previously in charge of Beveren, Genk and Club Brugge in Belgium, winning the Pro League title on three occasions, before spending a season-and-a-half in French football as head coach of Monaco.

Former Sweden boss Jon Dahl Tomasson, ex-Bournemouth and Wolves manager Gary O’Neil and one of Clement’s successors at Rangers, Russell Martin, were all linked with the Carrow Road vacancy over the past few days.

But the Canaries recruitment team, led by sporting director Ben Knapper – himself a target for criticism from supporters following the club’s poor start to the season – have instead given Clement the job of ensuring they do not drop into League One for the first time since the 2009-10 season.

“Philippe is an incredibly experienced and prominent head coach, with clear values and beliefs that align with ours,” Knapper said.

“He will bring a strong leadership presence and an impressive background having coached some of the biggest clubs in Europe.

“Throughout the recruitment process, his methodical approach and detailed analysis of where we currently are, as well as his desire to move things forward, were clear for us all to see.

“We now have an incredible amount of work ahead of us to ensure we improve performances and results, and we will do everything possible to ensure Philippe has our full backing and support.”

Clement is the third head coach appointed since Knapper replaced Stuart Webber as sporting director and the fifth since Daniel Farke – now in charge at Leeds United – left in November 2021, having twice led the Canaries to promotion to the Premier League.

It is likely funds will be made available by owners Norfolk FB Holdings to strengthen the squad in January following what some fans believe was an underwhelming summer transfer window when 12 players were brought in.

By Chris Goreham, BBC Radio Norfolk commentator

Philippe Clement has come from left field. His name didn’t ever feature near the top of the bookmakers’ favourites for the job.

Norwich City have recent history of pulling off surprises when it comes to appointing new head coaches. Alex Neil and Daniel Farke both came from nowhere to lead the Canaries into the Premier League.

Clement is taking on an entirely different task. It’s one of firefighting rather than chasing glory. City are in the Championship’s drop zone, four points adrift of safety having lost all eight home games this season.

The Belgian will need to draw on all of his experience managing at clubs like Monaco and Rangers to turn the tide. Early fan reaction ranges from ‘gamble’ to ‘coup’.