Ashes 2017: Steve Smith dismisses Michael Atherton's call for umpires to better protect England's tail

Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins have subjected England's lower-order to a short-pitched barrage in winning back the Ashes

Steve Smith has dismissed Michael Atherton's claims that lower-order batsmen should be protected more (Getty)

Calls from Michael Atherton for umpires to protect lower-order batsmen more have been described as "over the top" by Australia captain Steve Smith.

Australia have reclaimed the Ashes with an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-test series, their fiery pace battery of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins blowing away England's frontline batsmen in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.

And the pace trio have not spared the tailenders.

England number 10 Jake Ball was subjected to a short-pitched barrage in the Brisbane opener and number 11 James Anderson suffered a sickening blow to the side of his helmet in the third test at Perth.

The law states that short pitched bowling is dangerous if the umpire considers it likely to inflict physical injury when measured against a batsman's skill.

"Test cricket or not, the Law and the playing conditions are there to protect batsmen incapable of protecting themselves," Atherton wrote in the The Times. "No one wants to see the game sanitised, but the Law is there for a reason. The umpires should make use of it."

Australia skipper Smith found Atherton's claims "a bit over the top."

"No doubt, if they had the kind of pace that our bowlers can generate, they'd probably do the same thing," Smith said at Melbourne Park where he had a hit with former world number three tennis player Milos Raonic. "We were (always) going to bowl a lot of short stuff to those guys, much like we did back in 2013."

England's tail has been subjected to a hostile barrage (Getty)

Smith returned a few of Canadian Raonic's serves but struggled with one aimed at his body.

"Now I know how Jimmy Anderson feels," joked Smith, the leading scorer of the ongoing series which resumes in Melbourne on Tuesday.