Simmons: Nothing wrong with picking pace

Australia

Former West Indies all-rounder and current coach Phil Simmons says if he had three pacemen who could bowl at express speeds, he'd pick them too, and says Australia made the right squad choices.

The decision to pick Nathan Coulter-Nile ahead of other more in-form bowlers for the Tests against the Windies drew much criticism. NCN has not bowled a red ball in a match since March, but can bowl at over 140kph.

Simmons said that on the Australia decks, very fast bowlers were dangerous, and that he'd have done the same thing in their shoes. He added that Peter Siddle was an exception to the rule, as he is so accurate.

Simmons said: "Peter Siddle is showing you that (you don't have to bowl at 140kph). But for me it's a good policy.

"If I have three of them (140kph-plus bowlers), I know that I'm up there and I'm giving them trouble. Batsmen don't like it most of the time.

"So if I was them and I had three quicks, I would be trying to do that too – I like the policy."

The Windies have some pacemen of their own, to be sure, but none are as consistent as Australia's quicks. Kemar Roach and Jerome Taylor are expected to open the bowling in Hobart.

Australia latest-news west-indies

Latest