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The pre-Ashes verbal sparring is escalating further, with ex-England paceman Stuart Broad declaring that England will face "probably the worst Australian team since 2010" during their tour this season.

David Warner's Bold Prediction Answered by Doubt

The former England bowler's claim was in response to Warner – a long-time Ashes rival – forecasting a clean sweep for the hosts. "Should the skipper [Pat Cummins] be absent, they could perhaps snatch a single victory," Warner said.

Australia have not lost a men’s 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 last nine matches – came before 4-0 Ashes triumphs in the 2017-18 and 2021-22 campaigns.

Squad Doubt and Injury Concerns for Australia

However, the No 1-ranked Test team, who have lost only one of their past 13 bilateral series, approach the forthcoming contest with questions over the composition of their top order and the health of Cummins, who is doubtful to play in the opening match at Perth because of a back injury.

"It’s very, very difficult to win in Australia as an England side, or any visiting team," said Broad during his podcast. "Australia have to be massive favourites."

"The Aussies face the most pressure because they’re anticipated to prevail, they’re brilliant at home, but they’ve got doubts over their squad and question marks over their captain’s fitness. You wouldn’t be outlandish in thinking – it’s actually not an opinion, it's a reality – it is likely the weakest Aussie lineup since 2010. And it’s the best England squad in over a decade. So those things match up to the reality that it’s going to be a brilliant Ashes series."

Parallel to Historic Series

"The Australians have remained highly stable for a prolonged duration that you just knew who was going to open the innings, who would bat, what bowlers there were, and they don’t have that. It’s very much a similar situation to 2010-11 when England traveled and emerged victorious. The fact of the matter is Australia generally have to be bad to be defeated at home and England must excel. The English have a solid opportunity of being very good and the Australians face a real possibility of being bad."

Team Decision for the Visitors

A major issue for England 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 15 years ago, thinks it would be "strange" for Ben Stokes’ side to abandon Pope, who has been a consistent at first drop for the last three years.

"I'd select Ollie Pope at three," said Cook. "In my view it’s a straightforward choice. You’ve got a player who has been part of this buildup for three or four years. He has led the team, he’s played some extraordinary innings for the national side and he’s a hundred-maker. He knows how to make big scores in first-class cricket. If they drop him now, I believe that changes the whole dynamic of what they’ve built up over the recent years."

While hailing Jacob Bethell as "a hugely gifted cricketer", Cook said: "It would be a major risk [to pick him] because if that doesn’t work where do you move back to, someone you’ve just got rid of? They have committed heavily in players such as Ollie Pope and [Zak] Crawley that it would seem highly odd to make a switch at this stage."

Captaincy Change and Commentary Crew

Ollie Pope has been replaced by Brook as England’s vice-captain but, according to Cook, that will "ease the burden on" the Surrey right-hander.

"The management has acted decisively on that, considering in case of an injury to Ben Stokes, they have a player in Brook who has taken the [captaincy of the] one-day side and everyone has seen that he appears well suited to it. That will just relieve Pope. I believe it won't undermine him. Certainly it will have hurt him because whenever you're removed from a leadership role it wouldn’t be ideal, but I don’t think it undermines him."

Cook will be in Australia as part of the broadcast team of the series, and will be accompanied by fellow Ashes winners Steven Finn and Graeme Swann as on-the-ground pundits. The network will provide its own audio feed but will use a mixed approach, with commentators Alastair Eykyn and Hatch to work off-site in the UK, while the trio provide co-commentary from on location. Ebony Rainford-Brent is also part of the broadcast team working off-site, with the live presentation to be hosted by Ives.