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The pre-Ashes verbal sparring is escalating further, with ex-England paceman Broad stating that England will face "probably the worst Australian team in over a decade" on tour this season.

David Warner's Confident Forecast Answered by Doubt

Broad's assertion was in response to Warner – a long-time Ashes rival – predicting a 4-0 victory for the hosts. "If the captain [Pat Cummins] doesn’t play, they might win one game," Warner commented.

Australia have not lost a men’s Ashes match at home after England's series win in the 2010-11 tour. Their 5-0 win in the following series – on the back of seven defeats in their previous nine Tests – came before 4-0 series victories in the 2017-18 and 2021-22 campaigns.

Team Uncertainty and Fitness Worries for Australia

Yet, the top-ranked Test side, who have lost only one of their last thirteen series, enter the upcoming assignment with uncertainty over the makeup of their batting lineup and the health of Pat Cummins, who is unlikely to feature in the opening match at the Perth stadium because of a back injury.

"It's extremely challenging to triumph on Australian soil as an England side, or any side," Broad remarked during his podcast. "The Australians are massive favourites."

"Australia are under the greatest expectations because they’re anticipated to prevail, they’re formidable in home conditions, but they’ve got question marks over their squad and question marks over their captain’s fitness. It's not unreasonable in believing – it’s actually not an opinion, it’s a fact – it is likely the worst Australian team since 2010. And it’s the best England squad since 2010. So those things point towards the fact that it’s going to be a thrilling contest."

Comparison to Historic Tour

"Australia have been highly stable for a prolonged duration that you just knew who would open the innings, who would bat, what bowlers there were, and they don’t have that. It closely resembles a similar situation to 2010-11 when England traveled and emerged victorious. The fact of the matter is the Aussies typically need to underperform to be defeated at home and England must excel. England have a great chance of performing exceptionally and Australia have a decent chance of underperforming."

Selection Dilemma for the Visitors

A key question for the English camp remains their selection at No 3, with Pope and Bethell vying for the role. Cook, whose 766 runs paved the way for the visitors' series victory over a decade past, thinks it would be "unusual" for Stokes' team to abandon Pope, who has been a regular at number three for the last three years.

"I'd select Pope at three," said Cook. "I think it’s quite an easy choice. They have someone who’s been part of this buildup for three or four years. He’s captained the side, he has delivered remarkable performances for England and he’s a hundred-maker. He understands how to make big scores 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 last few years."

Although praising Bethell as "a hugely gifted cricketer", Cook said: "It would represent a major risk [to pick him] because should it fail where do you move back to, someone you’ve just got rid of? They’ve invested so much in people like Ollie Pope and [Zak] Crawley that it would seem such a strange thing to change it now."

Captaincy Shift and Commentary Team

Pope has been replaced by Brook as the team's deputy skipper but, according to Cook, that will "ease the burden on" the Surrey right-hander.

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

Alastair Cook will be in Australia as part of the broadcast team of the series, and will be joined by fellow Ashes winners 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 Eykyn and Hatch to work off-site in the UK, while Cook, Finn and Swann provide co-commentary from Australia. Rainford-Brent is also part of the broadcast team operating remotely, with the on-ground coverage to be presented by Ives.