England cricketer Stuart Broad has lit the fuse for a fiery summer, declaring Australia’s team the worst it has rolled out for an Ashes series in 15 years.

Almost six weeks out from the first Test in Perth, Broad joined the chorus of English voices talking up the tourists’ chances.

In the past fortnight, Zak Crawley has claimed the term Bazball “winds” Australia up, while Joe Root has suggested this summer is his best chance to win Down Under.

Former England captain Michael Atherton has suggested Australia is panicking about Pat Cummins’ injury, and Scott Boland no longer creates fear for the tourists.

But amid all the bravado coming out of England, Broad’s comments will grab the most attention, given he spent 15 years as Australia’s arch-nemesis before retiring after the 2023 Ashes.

In home series in the past 20 years, Australia swept England 5-0 in 2006-07 and 2013-14, as well as claiming 4-0 victories in 2017-18 and 2021-22.

The 2010-11 summer is the only blemish on that home record over the past two decades, with the Australian team beaten 3-1 at a time when it was in a state of transition.

Broad, who played in the 2010-11 series as well as England’s three series defeats in Australia since then, claimed the current Australian squad appeared to be similar.

“It’s probably the worst Australian team since 2010, when England last won, and it’s the best English team since 2010,” Broad, who now works as a pundit, said on a BBC podcast.

“It’s actually not an opinion, it’s fact.

“Those things match up to the fact it’s going to be a brilliant Ashes series.”

Broad’s comments came in response to David Warner claiming Australia would win 4-0, because it was playing for the Ashes while England was “playing for a moral victory”.

 

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Broad pointed to questions over the make-up of Australia’s batting line-up. He also pointed to perceived lack of bowling depth, with Cummins having conceded he is unlikely to play in the first Test.

“When we have ever, since 2010, been discussing who is going to bat No. 1, 2, 3, 6, 8 and who is going to be the spare bowler for Australia,” Broad said.

“You always go in there going: ‘Well, the Aussies, they’re really strong. They’ve just got the same bowlers, the same team’.

“But in 2010, when they were trying to replace [Glenn] McGrath, [Shane] Warne, [Matt] Hayden, [Justin] Langer, they didn’t have a spinner.

“They changed the seamers all the time, and they had a bit of a mixed match of batters.

“I don’t think anyone could argue that it’s their weakest team since 2010.”

Australian players have said England’s team is the best it has sent out in some time, with the high-octane pace duo of Mark Wood and Jofra Archer both fit. There are still questions over how England will manage the pair, who have spent long stints on the sideline with injuries.

Root also arrives as the No.1-ranked batter in the world, although he is yet to score a century or win a Test in Australia across three visits.

Harry Brook headlines a list of younger England talents, after scoring 10 hundreds in his first 50 Test innings at a strike-rate of 87.52.

–AAP