The China Mail - Australia going into Ashes with 'worst team' since 2010: England great Broad

The retired paceman was responding to the prediction of former Australia batter David Warner that the visitors would lose the five-match Test series, which starts next month, 4-0.

England, now led by all-rounder Ben Stokes, have not won the Ashes in Australia since 2010/11, when Broad was part of a squad that triumphed 3-1.

Since then they have a shocking record Down Under, losing 13 and drawing two of their Tests against their oldest rivals.

"It's very, very difficult to win in Australia as an England side, or any side -- it just is," Broad told the BBC podcast For the Love of Cricket.

"Australia have to be massive favourites. The question really was 'Which team's under the most pressure?' Well, Australia are under the most pressure because they're expected to win. They're brilliant at home.

"But they've got question marks over their team and question marks over (the fitness of) captain (Pat Cummins)."

The skipper said Monday he was "probably less likely than likely" to be fit for the first Ashes Test, which starts in Perth on November 21, but was still clinging to a shred of hope.

Cummins, 32, has not played since picking up a lower back injury in a Test against the West Indies in July.

There are concerns over how Australia's ageing seam attack will negotiate a packed Ashes schedule of five Tests in seven weeks as well as the team's batting frailties.

"Australia have been so consistent for a long period of time that you just knew who was going to open the batting, who was going to bat where, what bowlers there were -- and they don't have that," said Broad, who retired in 2023.

"It's very much a similar situation to 2010/2011 when England went and won there."

He added: "You wouldn't be outlandish in thinking - it's actually not an opinion, it's a fact -- it's probably the worst Australian team since 2010 when England last won, and it's the best English team since 2010.

"So those things match up to the fact it's going to be a brilliant Ashes series."

H.Au--ThChM