Stuart Broad, the former fast bowler for England, has responded to David Warner’s ‘moral victory’ comment about the England side in the Ashes series starting November 21 in Perth. Warner, who has always been known for being outspoken, claimed it would be a 4-0 series win for Australia if Pat Cummins was fit, and a 3-1 win if Cummins was not fit to play. Warner continued to state that Australia would be chasing the Ashes urn, while England would only be chasing pride.
Broad, speaking on the Love for Cricket podcast, which he co-hosts with England wicketkeeper-batter Jos Buttler, disagreed sharply with Warner’s comments. “It is probably the worst Australian team since 2010, and it is the best England team since 2010,” Broad said, referring to the last time England won an Ashes series in Australia. He added that while Australia has some decent players, injuries, retirements, and poor form of key individuals have left holes in their once-dominant lineup, placing pressure squarely on the hosts.
Pressure on Australia amid form and fitness concerns, Stuart Broad noted
Broad noted that the Australian team has lost the consistency that once made them near-invincible.“Australia have been so consistent with their plans and approach, and they do not have that anymore. The question really is which team is under pressure, and I guess that’s Australia,” he said. Cummins’ ongoing back stress problem has added to uncertainty, putting his availability for the opening Perth Test and potentially the entire series in doubt.
There are also various Australian players who are not reaching their previous heights of performance. Marnus Labuschagne, a key figure in the top-order, has not hit a Test century in over two years, averaging 24.74 with the bat in 30 innings since he last did. Out-of-form veteran Usman Khawaja scored only 56 runs combined on the recent tour, and talented newcomer Sam Konstas has yet to recapture his Australia A form at the senior level. All-rounder Cameron Green is still working his way back from back surgery and building up his bowling workload, but if he is available, his all-round ability makes him an important challenger to select.
Australia has yet to confirm their squad for the upcoming five-Test series, but England seems in a good position to challenge the Australians, and they have a genuine opportunity to win their first Ashes in Australia since 2011 and their first overall since 2015. Broad's confidence is representative of the increasing narrative that England could have a historic tour of Australia with the Bazball influence.
