Scott Boland downplays Englandโs sledging ahead of the Ashes, saying it wonโt affect Australia. He praised Nathan Lyonโs role in the bowling unit and admitted four pacers playing together is unlikely in Australia due to pitch conditions and team balance.
As the build-up begins for the highly anticipated Ashes series starting November 21 in Australia, pacer Scott Boland has dismissed any concern over Englandโs aggressive on-field behaviour, saying that Australiaโs experienced lineup remains unaffected by sledging tactics.
Following a fiery Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series between India and England, which featured heated exchanges between players, the spotlight has turned to how England might carry that intensity into the Ashes. However, Boland is confident the Australian squad, which has remained consistent in style and approach, won’t be rattled.
โI think nothing much changed from how we play our cricket. Even going forward, itโs just going to be whoever takes and whoever wins those big moments in the games. And I know we have got match winners with the bat or the ball. So โฆ if they want to sledge, thatโs fine. I donโt think itโs going to worry our guys too much.โ Boland told reporters in Melbourne.
Since his sensational Test debut in 2021, Boland has emerged as one of the most effective bowlers in modern cricket. With 62 wickets in just 14 matches at a staggering average of 16.53, the best for any bowler in the last century with at least 50 wickets, Boland has proven his ability to deliver under pressure. He recently etched his name in history with a Test hat-trick against West Indies in Kingston, becoming only the 10th Australian to do so.
Boland on Australia playing four quicks
Despite his form, Boland has often found himself on the sidelines due to Australia’s formidable pace trio, featuring captain Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood. The quartet played together in Jamaica, notably leaving out spinner Nathan Lyon for the first time in 12 years, a decision unlikely to be repeated on Australian pitches. Boland hopes that such a thing repeats in the future, but understands the difficulty of it on home soil.
โI hope so, but probably not in Australia. With our wickets, generally, Nathan is one of the best spin bowlers in the world (and) thinks he can bowl in any conditions. Heโs probably been the glue to our bowling line-up over the last few years. And then I probably see Greenie coming back and bowling a lot more โฆ so that probably hurts the chances of four quicks as well,โ he said.