Mitch laughs off Jimmy's no sledge pledge

Mitchell Johnson has laughed off Jimmy Anderson's call for the upcoming Ashes series to be played in a calm and confrontation-free environment, saying the England quick has been one of the biggest sledgers in recent series between the two fierce rivals.

In a further sign that Australia's spearhead has his mojo back after a drop in pace over the past six months, Johnson expects his fourth Ashes series to be played in the same combative and aggressive manner of his previous three. 

Johnson has been buoyed by his strong performance in Australia's tour match against Kent last week, when he bowled with the aggression and movement that guided him to a record-breaking 37 wickets in Australia's Ashes whitewash 18 months ago.

The left-armer admitted his pace had been down during the recent tour of the West Indies and the four-Test series against India last summer, and attributed the drop in speed in part to the sudden passing of Phillip Hughes last November, which affected both his mental state and physical preparation for the series against India.

But the hype of another Ashes battle has Johnson close to somewhere near peak form, a fact confirmed by Kent veteran Robert Key who joked he wasn't paid enough to face the type of bowling Johnson delivered last week.

"I'm not someone who makes excuses, but we went through a bit of a time just before that (series against India) with Phillip Hughes and that was something very difficult, and it was really hard to sort of deal with it at times," Johnson told the ABC.

"We were definitely underprepared at that time and my pace was definitely off.

"I probably wasn't fully right, fully mentally right, there at that time, so I just got through.

"I was really happy with how I bowled (against Kent).

"I felt really good, good rhythm, good pace, something I was really excited about here was bowling with those Dukes balls.

"Since I got here, I just feel it in the air, there's something I don't know, it's just really, really exciting at the moment – and my job is to bowl fast."

Johnson and Anderson were at the centre of two memorable flashpoints during Australia's 5-0 series victory in 2013-14; in Brisbane when Anderson was told by Australia captain Michael Clarke to face up to Johnson and "get ready for a broken f****n arm", and in Adelaide when Johnson delivered a lingering stare at the Englishman after knocking over his middle stump first ball.

The pair was also engaged in a running verbal battle during the third Test of the 2010-11 series in Perth, Australia's only victory of an historic 3-1 series defeat on home soil.

Last week, Anderson said he hoped the Ashes would be played in the same friendly atmosphere as England's recent series against New Zealand, which the quick said struck the perfect balance between the right spirit and competitiveness of Test cricket.

But Johnson chuckled when told of Anderson's suggestion at a media session with the English press on Monday. 

"Who said that?" Johnson said. "That is interesting coming from him because he is probably one of the biggest ones (sledgers) in the England team.

"I don’t think anything is going to change. I think he is just trying to get it out there to make himself look better."

Johnson's comments come after Aussie spin king Shane Warne warned England new-ball duo James Anderson and Stuart Broad to expect plenty of sledging to come their way during the upcoming Ashes series.

Quick Single: Aussies won't hold back says Warne

Retired leg-spinner Warne, in a column for Britain's Sunday Times newspaper, wrote: "Are you for real Jimmy? Seriously! This is the Ashes and I can tell Jimmy now that he is going to cop it from the Aussies more than anyone. When he's batting, it will be 11 against one in the middle. 

"I reckon Michael Clarke and his team will carry on from the last (Ashes) series and give it to Jimmy and Stuart Broad.

"There isn't anyone in world cricket who doesn't know about Stuart Broad's concerns with the short ball. 

"When either of those two (Anderson and Broad) bat, the Aussie fielders will be like koalas round a eucalyptus tree."