With hardly any time to go for the much-anticipated Ashes series, the traditional pre-series mind games between England and Australia have already begun to sizzle.
The latest to turn up the heat is none other than England’s fiery former pacer Stuart Broad, who has boldly declared that the current Australian Test team is the weakest since the 2010-11 Ashes series — the last time England triumphed Down Under with a historic 3-1 victory.
In an era where verbal duels are almost as fierce as on-field battles, Broad’s comments have reignited the classic rivalry that defines cricket’s oldest contest.
Speaking on his BBC podcast For The Love of Cricket with Jos Buttler, Broad stated bluntly: It’s probably the worst Australian team since 2010 when England last won, and it’s the best English team since 2010.
It’s actually not an opinion; it’s a fact. So those things match up to the fact it’s going to be a brilliant Ashes series.”
Broad’s words come on the back of fellow England opener Zak Crawley’s cheeky remark last week that “Bazball winds them up”, a reference to the aggressive, fearless cricket England have adopted under coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes.
Crawley’s jibe clearly struck a nerve with the Australians, who are under pressure to defend the Ashes they retained in 2022.
Adding to the tension is the uncertainty over Pat Cummins’s availability, as the Australian skipper is battling a back injury that could rule him out of the opening Tests.
His absence would be a massive blow to the hosts, forcing Steve Smith to step up once again as stand-in captain — a scenario that further fuels England’s confidence of breaking their decade-long drought in Australia.
For context, Australia has been nearly invincible at home, having lost the Ashes only once since the 1990s — the very series Broad referred to, where England’s pace attack of Anderson, Tremlett, and Broad himself demolished the hosts’ fragile batting lineup.
Broad’s latest volley wasn’t just about bravado — it was a calculated critique of Australia’s apparent lack of stability and depth in key positions.
He questioned the ongoing uncertainty surrounding their batting order and bowling combinations, remarking: When have we 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?
You’re used to saying: ‘Well, the Aussies, they’re strong — same bowlers, same team.’ But not this time. Now there’s doubt everywhere.”
Drawing a pointed parallel to Australia’s transitional struggles in 2010, Broad explained: B Back then, they were trying to replace giants like McGrath, Warne, Hayden, and Langer.
They didn’t have a world-class spinner, the seamers kept changing, and the batting was patchy. This feels eerily similar. I don’t think anyone could seriously argue this isn’t their weakest side since then.”
Earlier, Australian opener David Warner had provocatively claimed that his team would “win the Ashes 4-0” and that England were playing only for “moral victories.”
Broad’s rebuttal was clearly aimed at cutting down such overconfidence, while also signaling that England’s “Bazball” revolution has not just changed their approach but also rattled their oldest rivals psychologically.
This will be the second Ashes series of the Bazball era, after the enthralling 2-2 draw in England in 2023.
However, this time the conditions and stakes are different — and with verbal fireworks already lighting up the prelude, the actual cricket promises to be explosive.
Broad’s remarks serve not only as a jab but also as a rallying cry — a declaration that England, buoyed by aggressive self-belief and tactical clarity, is ready to storm Australia’s fortress again.
The war of words, it seems, is just the opening act of what could become one of the fiercest Ashes battles in recent memory.
#Ashes2025 #StuartBroad #EnglandVsAustralia #Bazball #CricketRivalry #MindGames #AshesWarOfWords #PatCummins #SteveSmith #DavidWarner #ZakCrawley #TestCricket #EnglandCricket #AustraliaCricket #BroadStrikesAgain #AshesCountdown #CricketBuzz #MasoodulHasanWrites #AshesFireworks #GameOn