Steve Smith has warned his Australia side they cannot take anything for granted against an England side rocked by Ben Stokes’ arrest.
The England all-rounder’s place on the tour is in serious doubt following his arrest for fighting outside a Bristol nightclub last month. The side head into the series already with a number of unanswered questions — a very brittle top order being the main one — and playing their old enemy without their talisman would leave them facing an uphill struggle to keep the famous urn.
But Smith has told his teammates to underestimate the tourists at their peril.
“You know they have a really good side. They are quite experienced now,” the Australia captain told the BBC.
“With regards to their batting, Alastair Cook and Joe Root are their two big players that we need to keep quiet. James Anderson and Stuart Broad are experienced — they have been here a few times so they know what to expect. We need to get those guys bowling a lot of overs — if we do that, hopefully we’ll have some success.”
Of Stokes he added: “He’s an incredible player with both ball and bat. He’s one of the best in the world. You want to come up against the best in an Ashes series, but his situation is out of our control. We will do what we can to win the series and prepare for the series as well as we can.”
An Ashes series always involves a bit of drama before a ball has been bowled. On top of the Stokes saga David Warner has added to the spice, suggesting that the Aussies will be motivated by their “hatred” of England.
That caused a mini outcry, but Smith defended his opening batsman.
“David is great when he is in those kind of moods, when he is up and about,” he said.
“That’s what you want to see from your opening batsman — he’s fiery, he plays his best cricket when he is in that mindset, so hopefully he can score some big runs for us.”
This will be Smith’s first Ashes as Australia skipper and he admitted that leading the Baggy Green against England will be one of the toughest tasks of his career.
Last time around England got the better of their old enemy 3-2 on home soil, and with the first Test in Brisbane just a month away Smith knows the focus will be on him to deliver the urn back Down Under.
“It will be up there as one of the (biggest challenges) in my career so far — it’s a much-anticipated series, the rivalry with England is always there,” he told the BBC World Service.
“This is my fifth Ashes series, but my first as captain and I can’t wait to get out there. It’s an exciting series to be involved in.”
Four years ago the Aussies shocked England, then led by Alastair Cook, 5-0 just months after they had suffered a 3-0 defeat in England. But Smith admitted the chance of history repeating itself was unlikely this winter.
“That 5-0 victory was something special and I will never forget it. I would love to replicate it — 5-0 would be magnificent,” he said.
“You know, I would just love to win the series and I can’t wait to get out there and get started.”
Smith issues Ashes warning
Smith issues Ashes warning
Proud dad Zinedine Zidane watches Algeria beat Sudan 3-0
- Former Real Madrid legend Zidane watches his son Luca keep a clean sheet in the Algeria goal during the Africa Cup of Nations match in Rabat
- Riyad Mahrez scores twice for Algeria, one of the tournament favorites, who move top of Group E
RABAT, Morocco: France great Zinedine Zidane watched his goalkeeper son’s safe hands as Algeria started its Africa Cup of Nations campaign with a 3-0 win over 10-man Sudan on Wednesday.
Riyad Mahrez scored twice and the 20-year-old Ibrahim Maza scored his first international goal for Algeria, one of the tournament favorites, to move top of Group E.
“The most important thing was to start with a win,” Mahrez said. “The last two AFCONs, we didn’t start good. Today, we really wanted to make it happen and we did.”
Zidane, who was at the sweet-smelling Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat to see his son Luca Zidane playing in the Algeria goal, was feted by the crowd every time he was shown on the big screens.
Luca Zidane opted to represent his grandfather’s country after getting the Fennec Foxes’ invitation and he’s been given his chance to shine because of an injury to Alexandre Oukidja, who might have been expected to start otherwise.
Algeria wasted little time Wednesday with Mahrez sweeping in the opener in the second minute after unselfish play from Hicham Boudaoui to set him up.
Zidane was called into action shortly afterward to deny Yaser Awad on a break.
Sudan had to play all its qualification games away from home because of the near 1,000-day old civil war ravaging the country.
Though the Algerians looked confident and played with intensity, the big chances fell at the other end, with Zidane saving again from Awad before Abdel Raouf fired over.
Salah Adil was sent off just as the rain began to fall shortly before the break with his second yellow card for a foul on Rayan Aït-Nouri, who would have been through otherwise.
But the Algerian fans, who were in a majority, needed to be patient.
Mohammed Amoura produced a brilliant cross with the outside of his boot for Mahrez to score in the 61st, and Baghdad Bounedjah headed the ball into Maza’s path for the substitute to complete the scoring in the 85th.
Drama in Casablanca
Edmond Tapsoba completed a remarkable turnaround as Burkina Faso scored two goals in stoppage time to beat 10-man Equatorial Guinea 2-1 in the early Group E game.
Tapsoba’s team had pushed hard for the opening goal after Basilio Ndong was sent off early in the second half for a bad challenge on Bertrand Traoré’s ankle.
Marvin Anieboh then stunned the Stallions when he launched himself at Carlos Akapo’s cross to score with a looping header in the 85th minute.
Georgi Minoungou equalized in the fifth minute of stoppage time and Tapsoba headed the winner three minutes after that.
Later Wednesday in Group F, defending champion Ivory Coast began its title defense against Mozambique in Marrakech and five-time champion Cameroon opened against Gabon in the coastal city of Agadir.
