Steve Smith issues warning to England, says be ready for tough times in Ashes
has warned that the upcoming Ashes series later this year will present a completely different challenge for Ben Stokes and his side when they tour Australia.
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With pitches in the ongoing India-England Test series heavily favouring batters, Smith believes England's top order must not get too comfortable, as they'll face far tougher conditions down under. Both teams have already posted scores in excess of 500 at least once and have consistently crossed the 400-run mark.
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"Their (England) batters are going to be challenged a little bit differently to the wickets they have had over in England for a while, which have looked pretty flat and good for batting," Smith was quoted as saying by BBC Sport.
"The wickets in Australia in the last three or four years have been very tricky for top order batters. It is going to be a good challenge for them. But it's going to be a wonderful series."
As part of his preparation, Smith has been closely following the India vs England series.
"I have been watching the India and England series and there has been some great cricket played there, so I think the Ashes this year is going to be an absolute belter," he said.
Smith also noted a shift in England's approach, saying their recent performances suggest a move away from their aggressive, crowd-pleasing 'Bazball' style to a more pragmatic, result-oriented mindset.
"They have started to play a little bit differently in the last couple of weeks in terms of playing the situation, as opposed to going out and trying to be the entertainers that they said they wanted to be," Smith said.
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"They are actually trying to win the games now which is perhaps different to what was said in their comments previously."
Although Australia's T20 team is currently engaged in a five-match series against the West Indies, Smith is already in England, preparing to lead Welsh Fire in The Hundred.
After retiring from ODI cricket earlier this year following the Champions Trophy, Smith has shifted focus to T20s and harbours hopes of representing Australia in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where cricket will return as an Olympic sport.
"I decided to stop playing one-day cricket so I can play more franchises, with the aim to make the Olympic team," Smith said.
"So to play more shorter-form tournaments around the world is only going to be beneficial. It has been a long run for me, and I have been doing this for a long time. I am still enjoying it and particularly the shorter formats and want to keep putting my name out there."
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