Pat Cummins of Australia celebrates with team mates (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Former England cricket star Stuart Broad has launched a sharp critique of the current Australian cricket team ahead of the highly anticipated Ashes series. Broad described them as the weakest Australian side since 2010, directly countering Australian opener David Warner’s prediction of a dominant 4-0 victory for Australia and his comments about England playing merely for a ‘moral victory’.
Broad, who recently retired after the 2023 Ashes series and now works as a prominent TV commentator, highlighted significant concerns regarding Australia’s top-order batting and the unsettled nature of their lineup.
The former England fast bowler specifically drew attention to Australian captain Pat Cummins’ uncertain availability for the opening Test in Perth on November 21, framing it as a substantial worry for the home side.
“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,” Broad stated on the BBC’s ‘For the Love of Cricket’ podcast. “So those things match up to the fact it’s going to be a brilliant Ashes series.”
Broad, who was a key member of England’s successful 2010-2011 Ashes campaign in Australia, where they secured a 3-1 victory under Andrew Strauss’s leadership, rose to prominence in the series. He later delivered a remarkable bowling performance of 8-15 at Trent Bridge in 2015.
His relationship with Australian fans took a contentious turn after a 2013 incident where he controversially refused to walk after edging a ball to slip, solidifying his status as an Ashes ‘villain’.
While acknowledging the historic challenge of winning in Australia, Broad underscored what he sees as current vulnerabilities within the Australian team, particularly noting the uncertainty surrounding players like Marnus Labuschagne, Sam Konstas, and Beau Webster.
“It’s very, very difficult to win in Australia as an England side or any side – it just is,” Broad said. “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.”
The former England bowler reiterated his focus on Australia’s leadership and team composition challenges.
“But they’ve got question marks over their team and question marks over the captain (Pat Cummins),” Broad asserted. “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.”
Broad firmly reinforced his judgment on the current Australian team’s standing compared to its predecessors.
“I don’t think anyone could argue that it’s their weakest team since 2010 … it’s just a fact,” he concluded.
These pointed comments from both Broad and Warner have significantly escalated the pre-series dialogue between the two cricketing nations, dramatically setting the stage for the opening Test in Perth on November 21.
Such exchanges are a continuation of the traditional pre-Ashes verbal sparring between England and Australia, adding another compelling chapter to their storied cricket rivalry.
The upcoming series promises to be a true test, pitting Broad’s assessment of Australia’s perceived weaknesses against Warner’s confident prediction of a resounding home victory.