Australia may have had the last laugh, but Stuart Broad isn’t backing down from his opinion that this is the “worst Australian team since 2010”.
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Broad made headlines with the bold claim before the Ashes and was made to eat his words on Sunday after Australia won the third Test in Adelaide, retaining the urn as a result.
Hometown hero Travis Head referenced Broad’s comments in a cheeky Instagram story as Australia celebrated its successful Ashes defence.
So, does Broad regret making them?
“No,” he said on his For The Love of Cricket podcast.
“I did say Australia would have to play very badly (to lose the Ashes) and England would have to play very well.
“Australia haven’t played very badly and England haven’t played very well. I had Australia down as favourites, but I didn’t have them down as 3-0 favourites.”
Broad went on to add that there were “a lot of things” that went England’s way, referencing the injuries to bowlers Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and, more recently, Nathan Lyon, along with Steve Smith’s illness.
“England haven’t been good enough ultimately. Australia have been relentless in what they’ve done. They’ve showed age is just a number,” Broad said.
“Do I think the (Australian) side of 2013-14 man for man was a better side? Yes, probably still. I don’t think individually they are better than any other team since 2010-11, but they’ve been relentless in the pressure they’ve managed to put on England, as have every Australian team since 2010.
“England losing 3-0 by the third Test is not something new.
“I don’t disagree with my comment. England have been at 20 per cent of their ability.”
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STARC’S REVEAL ON 2027 ASHES
Elsewhere, Mitchell Starc has hinted he may not have played his final Ashes with the star Australian fast bowler open to playing in England in 2027.
Starc has been in fine form so far this series with 22 wickets.
He will have to shoulder even more responsibility moving forward with Pat Cummins set to join Josh Hazlewood on the sidelines for the Boxing Day Test, while a hamstring injury has raised serious doubts over Nathan Lyon’s availability.
Starc, however, confirmed to media, including Code Sports, on Monday that he is willing to take on his full workload for the final two Tests of the series.
“I want more,” he said.
“The next game starts in four days. I feel good and ready to go. My average speed was better than anyone (in Adelaide), so good to go.
“I plan every summer to play every game. So for me, that’s not changing.”
As for whether he is aiming to play in the next Ashes series in 2027, Starc said his mind isn’t there just yet but added that he has been making concerted efforts to keep himself fresh to continue dominating in the Test arena.
“That’s part of why I’ve given away T20 cricket, to try and prolong my Test career,” he said.
“I’m not thinking two years down the track just yet. Let’s just think about Melbourne and then on to Sydney. But, yeah, certainly it’d be nice to win an Ashes series in England.”
For now, Starc and the rest of the Australian squad will instead be focused on securing their first Ashes whitewash since 2013-14.
“(It’s) fantastic to be where we’re standing, (but) the job’s not done,” Starc said.
“With a lot being made outside the group – and whilst we don’t pay too much attention to it – things get heard and sent around. There’ll be a lot of pleasure being in the situation we are.
“(There was) lots of hype … probably for longer than I can remember heading into an Ashes series. Really thrilled with how these three weeks went. They certainly made us work for it … but those ones are almost more special.”
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‘GOT IN OUR OWN WAY’: ENGLAND COACH’S HONEST ADMISSION
In other news, Brendon McCullum believes England almost got “so caught up and so driven to achieve something” that they “almost go in our own way” as he reflected on his team’s disappointing Ashes showing so far.
Having come under significant scrutiny for the team’s preparation, McCullum finally conceded England got their preparations wrong heading into the Ashes.
But he also believes they can salvage some pride in the final two Tests at Melbourne and Sydney.
The tourists arrived in Australia bullish that they could win a series in the country for the first time since 2010-11.
Their hopes have since imploded with heavy defeats in Perth and Brisbane before a closer contest at Adelaide, leaving the ultra-aggressive Bazball style of cricket McCullum and skipper Ben Stokes pioneered in tatters.
Their Ashes demise in just 11 days was the joint-second quickest in more than a century, but McCullum started to see positive signs near the end of the Adelaide Test.
It gave him a reason to be optimistic, but also left the England coach wondering what could have been.
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“I do feel like the last day-and-a-half, two days, we’ve probably played our best cricket, and that’s because we’ve just played,” he said.
“I feel like, for the previous nine days, we were so caught up and so driven to achieve something, and succeed, that we almost got in our own way, and we stymied our talent and our skill and our ability.
“It’s only been the last two days that we’ve let go and just played, and actually competed, and probably had our best two days of the tour.
“So there’s a lesson in that, and not just for the players. There’s a lesson for the coach, and the coaching staff as well. How do you free guys up when the pressure is at its highest, rather than having to wait to these last two days?”
The fourth Test starts in Melbourne on December 26 and England could freshen up the side.
An under-performing Ollie Pope is facing the axe with Jacob Bethell waiting in the wings, but their options are limited and McCullum said they would not be looking outside the squad they have.
“We’ll have a look a look at the conditions (in Melbourne) and, as we always do, we’ll try and work out what we think will give us the best chance in that game,” he said.
“If that’s changes, it’s changes. If it’s not, it’s not. We’ll assess that when we get to Melbourne.”
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