COMMENT

STEVE Smith could solve Australia’s No. 6 dilemma right now if he wanted to.

The problem is he doesn’t. Flat out refuses.

That doesn’t change the fact Australia’s captain could fix the selectors’ headache ahead of Wednesday’s selection meeting if he simply put his hand up to bowl a handful of overs this summer.

That’s all it would take.

Australian selectors remain obsessed with the idea of selecting an all-rounder to bat at No. 6, despite coach Darren Lehmann’s declaration last month he is open to Australia taking six batsmen into the first Test at the Gabba, beginning November 23.

Aussie cricket great Kerry O’Keeffe on Monday declared he wants the Aussie skipper to step up to the plate and roll his arm over this summer.

Smith taking on a bowling role would allow Lehmann to get the six batsmen that he wants.

On top of the massive boost to Australia’s famously fragile middle order, O’Keeffe says Smith’s brand of spin would be particularly dangerous against England this summer.

The 53-Test wicket-taker says he is convinced England looks susceptible to wrist spin — and believes Smith could add an extra dimension to the Aussie attack.

“They’ll be factoring all their work into Nathan Lyon, but I think Smithy should bowl more this summer,” O’Keeffe said at Triple M’s Ashes launch in Sydney on Monday.

“I know he’s a reluctant bowler, but Joe Root, Johnny Bairstow — leg spinners get them out. That’s why come Sydney, I’ll be very interested in our team.”

He said Smith’s return to bowling would allow selectors to squeeze promising Western Australian opener Cameron Bancroft into the team to bat at No. 6.

“We just need that No. 6 to be able to bowl a few overs as back up if somebody goes down,” O’Keeffe said.

“I don’t agree with that. I’d go with six batters. That’s why I’ve got Bancroft in the top six.

“I’d pick specialist batsmen, but they (the selectors) probably won’t.”

He said Smith needs to get back into the nets and roll his arm over.

“I think he could and I think he should,” O’Keeffe said.

“He can get the field to protect him a bit. He winkles people out. He bowls wicket taking balls. I’d encourage him to get to work in the nets. He’s got a heavy role with the bat, but he could bowl that 8-10 overs they’re looking for.”

Based on Australia’s recent history with its No. 6, Smith wouldn’t even need to do that.

In the seven Tests Australia has played in 2017 — against Pakistan, India and Bangladesh — all-rounders have bowled just 36 overs across 13 innings in the field.

Hilton Cartwright bowled just nine overs in his two Test appearances and is yet to take a Test scalp.

Glenn Maxwell played four tests in 2017 with combined figures of 1/70 from 20 overs.

Smith has clearly been reluctant to call upon his all-rounder in recent times — making the position completely obsolete — especially with Australia’s attack of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon looking more threatening than ever heading into the Ashes.

It really doesn’t seem like that giant a burden for Smith to bowl a handful of overs — especially when the upside is the blooding of a player of Bancroft’s calibre.

Australian selector Mark Waugh even admitted on Monday Australia doesn’t have an “outstanding” all-rounder prospect right now.

“If you go back to my day when myself and Steven bowled, you don’t need an all-rounder,” Waugh said as he was unveiled as a Triple M commentator for the Ashes alongside Ian Botham, Adam Gilchrist, Mitchell Johnson and Phil Tufnell.

“If you’ve got batsmen who can bowl to a reasonable level, well then you don’t have to worry about an all-rounder. A lot of our top five don’t bowl at all.

“There’s no real outstanding all-rounder around at the moment. Marcus Stoinis is probably the closest batsman who can pinch you two or three wickets. The other guys, they’re batsmen who bowl.”

Smith said only last month it’s just not going to happen.

The combined demands of the captaincy and Australia’s reliance on his batting means he’s simply too busy to do it all.

He has even promoted Usman Khawaja ahead of himself to roll the arm over when Australia’s attack has been desperate for overs. It’s bordering on selfish.

Smith has bowled just one over in Tests this year — against Pakistan at the SCG — and has taken just one Test scalp since Australia surrendered the urn to England in August, 2015.

“I certainly could bowl if need be. I’d prefer not to,” Smith said in October.

“Bowling leg spin, it takes a lot of time. For me to get a rhythm that I need, it’s about bowling for so long and I like to focus on my batting.

“And when I’m not batting, I like to watch the nets and ensure guys are training the right way — watching them prepare and giving them advice.

“Then I obviously have to do my catching work. Slips catching this summer is going to be really important.

“If we hold our catches it’s going to go a long way. I’ve got to do all those things and it’s just not possible to do everything with the things I want to do around the team.”

But, as shown by the minimal role Australia’s all-rounder has played in the field, it’s really not asking too much of the Aussie skipper to trundle in for 24 deliveries a day.

Aussie cricket great Simon Katich said in January Smith turning the clock back to his leg-spinning days would turn Smith into the complete package.

“Moving forward, we all know he can bat — he’s averaging 60 in Test cricket — there’s no questions there,” Katich told Fox Sports News.

“It’s now about him maybe trying to do a little bit more at the bowling crease because he can bowl good leg spin as well.”

Just like that, the No. 6 dilemma is solved.