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The war of words before the Ashes continues to heat up, with ex-England bowler Broad declaring that the English side will face "probably the worst Aussie squad in over a decade" on tour this season.

David Warner's Bold Prediction Answered by Doubt

Broad's assertion was in response to David Warner – an Ashes foe of Broad’s – predicting a clean sweep for the hosts. "Should the skipper [Pat Cummins] be absent, they could perhaps snatch a single victory," Warner said.

The Aussies remain undefeated in a men’s Ashes match on home soil since England’s series win in 2010-11. Their 5-0 win in the following series – on the back of seven defeats in their last nine matches – came before 4-0 Ashes triumphs in 2017-18 and 2021-22.

Team Doubt and Injury Worries for the Hosts

Yet, the top-ranked Test side, who have lost only one of their last thirteen series, approach the forthcoming contest with questions over the composition of their batting lineup and the health of Cummins, who is unlikely to feature in the first Test at the Perth stadium because of a back injury.

"It’s very, very difficult to win in Australia as an England side, or any side," said Broad during his podcast. "The Australians are massive favourites."

"Australia are under the greatest expectations because they’re expected to win, they’re brilliant at home, but they’ve got doubts over their squad and question marks over their captain’s fitness. It's not unreasonable in thinking – this isn't merely a view, it’s a fact – it is likely the weakest Aussie lineup since the 2010 era. And it’s the best England squad in over a decade. These factors point towards the reality that it’s going to be a brilliant Ashes series."

Comparison to Historic Tour

"Australia have been highly stable for a prolonged duration that you just knew who was going to open the innings, who would bat, which bowlers were available, and they don’t have that. It closely resembles a comparable scenario to the 2010-11 period when England went and won there. The reality is Australia generally have to be bad to lose in Australia and England have to be very good. England have a great chance of performing exceptionally and the Australians face a real possibility of being bad."

Selection Decision for the Visitors

A key question for the English camp remains their choice at No 3, with Pope and Jacob Bethell vying for the role. Alastair Cook, whose prolific scoring set up the visitors' series victory over a decade past, believes it would be "unusual" for Ben Stokes’ side to abandon Ollie Pope, who has been a regular at first drop for the last three years.

"I'd select Ollie Pope at three," said Cook. "I think it’s quite an easy choice. You’ve got someone who’s been part of this buildup for several years. He has led the team, he has delivered some extraordinary innings for the national side and he’s a hundred-maker. He knows how to score hundreds in first-class cricket. If you get rid of him now, I think that changes the whole dynamic of the foundation they've established over the recent years."

Although praising Bethell as "an incredibly talented player", Cook added: "It would be 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 Pope and [Crawley that it would seem highly odd to make a switch at this stage."

Captaincy Change and Broadcast Team

Pope has been succeeded by Harry Brook as the team's deputy skipper but, as per Cook, that will "take the pressure off" the Surrey right-hander.

"They’ve been proactive on that, considering if there is an injury to Stokes, they’ve got a guy in Brook who has taken the [captaincy of the] one-day side and it's evident that he seems to be a natural fit. This will take the pressure off. I don’t think weaken his position. Certainly it will have hurt him because anytime you get taken off a leadership role it isn't perfect, but I doubt it diminishes his standing."

Alastair Cook will be in the host nation as part of the broadcast team of the series, and will be joined by former Ashes champions Steven Finn and Graeme Swann as in-studio analysts. The network will provide its own audio feed but will operate a hybrid model, with commentators Alastair Eykyn and Rob Hatch to work off-site in the UK, while the trio deliver expert analysis from Australia. Rainford-Brent is also part of the broadcast team working off-site, with the live presentation to be presented by Ives.