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The pre-Ashes verbal sparring continues to heat up, with ex-England bowler Stuart Broad declaring that the English side will face "probably the worst Aussie squad since 2010" during their tour this winter.

Warner's Confident Forecast Answered by Doubt

Broad's assertion came as a reply to Warner – an Ashes foe of Broad’s – forecasting a clean sweep for the home side. "If the captain [Pat Cummins] doesn’t play, they might win one game," Warner said.

Australia have not lost a Ashes match at home since England’s 3-1 victory in 2010-11. The subsequent 5-0 whitewash three years later – following seven defeats in their previous nine Tests – was followed by 4-0 series victories in 2017-18 and 2021-22.

Squad Doubt and Fitness Concerns for the Hosts

However, the No 1-ranked Test team, who have suffered just a single defeat of their last thirteen series, approach the forthcoming contest with uncertainty over the composition of their top order and the fitness of Cummins, who is doubtful to play in the opening match at Perth because of a back issue.

"It’s very, very difficult to win in Australia as an England side, or any side," Broad remarked on his podcast. "Australia have to be strong favorites."

"Australia are under the most pressure because they’re anticipated to prevail, they’re formidable in home conditions, but they’ve got question marks over their squad and concerns over their skipper's condition. It's not unreasonable in believing – it’s actually not an opinion, it’s a fact – it’s probably the worst Australian team since the 2010 era. Meanwhile, it's the strongest English team in over a decade. These factors point towards the fact that it’s going to be a thrilling contest."

Parallel to Historic Tour

"Australia have been so consistent for a prolonged duration that you just knew who would open the batting, who was going to bat, which bowlers were available, and they lack that certainty now. It’s very much a similar situation to 2010-11 when England traveled and emerged victorious. The reality is Australia generally have to be bad to lose in Australia and England have to be very good. The English have a solid opportunity of performing exceptionally and the Australians face a real possibility of underperforming."

Team Decision for England

A key question for the English camp remains their choice at No 3, with Ollie Pope and Bethell contesting the spot. Cook, whose prolific scoring paved the way for the tourists’ series win 15 years ago, thinks it would be "strange" for Ben Stokes’ side to move away from Ollie Pope, who has been a regular at number three for the last three years.

"I would bat Ollie Pope at number three," Cook stated. "I think it’s quite an easy choice. You’ve got a player who has been involved in this preparation for three or four years. He has led the team, he’s played some extraordinary innings for England and he scores centuries. He understands how to score hundreds in the domestic game. If they drop him now, I believe that changes the whole dynamic of what they’ve built up over the recent years."

Although praising Jacob Bethell as "a hugely gifted cricketer", Cook said: "It would represent a big, big gamble [to pick him] because if that doesn’t work where do you move back to, someone you’ve just got rid of? They’ve invested so much in people like Ollie Pope and [Crawley that it would be highly odd to make a switch at this stage."

Leadership Change and Commentary Crew

Pope has been replaced by Harry Brook as England’s vice-captain but, as per Cook, that will "ease the burden on" the Surrey batsman.

"They’ve been proactive on that, considering if there is an injury to Stokes, they have a player in Brook who has taken the [captaincy of the] one-day side and everyone has seen that he seems to be well suited to it. This will take the pressure off. I believe it won't undermine him. Certainly it will have disappointed him because whenever you're removed from a leadership role it wouldn’t be ideal, but I doubt it undermines him."

Alastair Cook will be in Australia as part of TNT’s coverage of the Ashes, and will be accompanied by former Ashes champions Steven Finn and Graeme Swann as on-the-ground pundits. The network will offer a dedicated commentary stream but will use a mixed approach, with commentators Alastair Eykyn and Rob Hatch to work off-site in the UK, while Cook, Finn and Swann deliver expert analysis from Australia. Ebony Rainford-Brent is also part of the broadcast team working off-site, with the live presentation to be presented by Becky Ives.