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Australia won't hold back in Ashes: Warne

Cricket legend expects Broad and Anderson to hear plenty from the Australians throughout the Ashes series

Australia great Shane Warne has told England new-ball duo James Anderson and Stuart Broad to expect plenty of sledging to come their way during the upcoming Ashes series.

Anderson has contrasted the sporting atmosphere which prevailed during England's recent series with New Zealand to the 'needle' that existed during the last Ashes campaign, which Australia won 5-0 on home soil in 2013-14.

Infamously told by Australia captain Michael Clarke to "get ready for a broken arm" during the first Test in Brisbane while batting as a tailender, Anderson said he hoped the latest series between the arch-rivals could be played in the same spirit as England's series with New Zealand.

"That was a really positive series and the nature of both sides' cricket was helped by the spirit the game was played in," Anderson said Wednesday.

However, 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."

Nearly eighteen months since the boos and jibes of a parochial pink-washed SCG crowd died down and 10 days out from what will no doubt be another antagonistic confrontation between cricket’s oldest enemies, Broad believes he knows what to expect from Australia come the first Ashes Test in Cardiff.

Broad, in comments given to British newspapers published Sunday, said England would not win the Ashes by "out-sledging" Australia.

But he also insists that that’s not how he or England necessarily need to play to win back the urn.

"The Aussie players don’t say anything to me on the field,” he said. “I enjoy the battle and the competitive side so it gets me going more than not, the battle out in the middle.

“I’d expect the Aussies to come hard at our players. The success Australia have had over us in the last series and in the World Cup was based around aggression. 

“They got negative reaction as regards to the style but they won the World Cup so I don’t think they will change their approach or come here and be like a New Zealand team – they will stick to their guns.

“We have to be aware that they will be aggressive towards us. We have to look them in the eye and be up for a battle but I don’t think we have to rise to their aggression.”

It was this apparent participation in hostilities from England’s wiser heads, notably Broad’s new-ball partner James Anderson, that lead to the moment the 29-year-old believes set the tone for the 5-0 Ashes rout to follow in 2013-14.

“Michael Clarke saying ‘get ready for a broken arm’ to Jimmy Anderson, that’s been Australian cricket for years,” Broad said. 

“It’s not going to change now but we have to play to our advantages and style. 

“You have seen in the past couple of months guys playing with smiles on their faces and playing aggressive, free- flowing positive cricket – that is how we will beat Australia. We won’t beat them by out-sledging them.”

Both sides will enter the series with plenty of momentum on their side, with Australia coming off a comprehensive sweep of the West Indies in the Caribbean and England toppling World Cup finalists New Zealand 3-2 in their ODI series before coming out victorious in the lone Twenty20 fixture.

Despite the change of format, and the absence of the majority of the Test side’s number from the coloured clothes arena, Broad believes the series did as much to define the national approach to the game as it did boost the side’s ODI rankings points.

“I think the team have got a real feeling of how the public like us to play our cricket recently,” he said. 

“I think the public have enjoyed how we have (been playing). I didn’t think fans, players, media in England are big gnarly people, they like to see cricket played in a strong battle head-on but with a smile on your face.

“We’re lucky in England getting good crowds all the time but there is a different vibe when you turn up for an Ashes Test. 

“They are more passionate about it, they are a little bit more desperate to not let the Australians have anything.”

Broad also said the fact that England had recently appointed Australian Trevor Bayliss as their new coach would give the series an extra edge.

"I love the fact he's Australian, and could potentially take the Ashes away from Australia," said Broad.