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The war of words before the Ashes is escalating further, with ex-England paceman Stuart Broad declaring that England will confront "probably the worst Aussie squad since 2010" during their tour this winter.

David Warner's Bold Prediction Met With Doubt

The former England bowler's claim came as a reply to Warner – a long-time Ashes rival – forecasting a 4-0 victory for the home side. "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 at home after England's series win in the 2010-11 tour. Their 5-0 win three years later – on the back of seven losses in their last nine matches – was followed by 4-0 series victories in the 2017-18 and 2021-22 campaigns.

Squad Uncertainty and Fitness Worries for the Hosts

However, the top-ranked Test side, who have lost only one of their past 13 bilateral series, enter the upcoming assignment with uncertainty over the makeup of their batting lineup and the fitness of Pat Cummins, who is doubtful to play in the opening match at Perth because of a back issue.

"It’s very, very difficult to win in Australia as an English team, or any side," said Broad during his podcast. "Australia have to be strong favorites."

"Australia are under the greatest expectations because they’re expected to win, they’re formidable in home conditions, but they’ve got doubts over their team and question marks over their skipper's condition. You wouldn’t be outlandish in thinking – this isn't merely a view, it’s a fact – it’s probably the worst Australian team 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 thrilling Ashes series."

Comparison to Historic Tour

"Australia have been so consistent for a prolonged duration that you just knew who would open the batting, who was going to bat, what bowlers there were, and they lack that certainty now. It’s very much a comparable scenario to the 2010-11 period when England went and won there. The fact of the matter is Australia generally have to be bad to be defeated at home and England have to be very good. England have a great chance of performing exceptionally and Australia have a decent chance of being bad."

Team Decision for England

A key question for the English camp remains their selection at No 3, with Ollie Pope and Jacob Bethell contesting the spot. Cook, whose 766 runs set up the tourists’ series win 15 years ago, believes it would be "unusual" for Stokes' team to move away from 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 a straightforward choice. They have a player who has been involved in this preparation for three or four years. He has led the team, he has delivered remarkable performances for England 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 alters the entire balance of what they’ve built up 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 should it fail what is the fallback option, a player you recently discarded? They’ve invested so much in players such as Pope and [Crawley that it would seem highly odd to make a switch at this stage."

Leadership Shift and Commentary Team

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

"They’ve been proactive on that, thinking in case of an injury to Ben Stokes, they have a player in Harry 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 believe it won't undermine him. I’m sure 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 diminishes his standing."

Alastair Cook will be in the host nation as part of the broadcast team of the Ashes, and will be joined by fellow Ashes winners Finn and Swann as on-the-ground pundits. The network will provide its own audio feed but will operate a hybrid model, with play-by-play announcers Eykyn and Rob Hatch to work off-site in the United Kingdom, while Cook, Finn and Swann provide co-commentary from on location. Ebony Rainford-Brent is also part of the commentary team operating remotely, with the live presentation to be hosted by Becky Ives.