This summer, every cricketing eye will be glued at the Ashes in Down Under, where England will try to retain the urn. But, Aussies are in no mood to let this chance slip from their hands. Even prior a ball has bowled, Kangaroos has started their verbal battles. Mitchell Starc, the Australian fast bowler, led his team from the front and chirped few words for Ben Stokes and Australian crowd.

Ben Stokes has sacked his name back from England Ashes squad following charges over him after a fight outside a club in Bristol. Starc said “I guess I’d love if he was out here. I’d love for the Australian crowd to get stuck into him the way the Poms get stuck into our blokes over there. Regardless of whether he’s here or not, I think the atmosphere is going to be great at all the grounds. I’m really looking forward to that atmosphere and if Ben is playing I’m sure it’s going to be hyped up and really loud. But I’m sure Ben knows how to cope with that sort of stuff if he does play.”

“On certain people, I think it can [affect their performance]. On different characters, people take it differently. For certain guys, if they’re copping it in the crowd they enjoy the banter, they give it back and really enjoy that atmosphere and that banter both ways with the crowd,” he added.

“Other guys will go into their shell and it might affect their cricket. I know what’s happened to people … I’ve copped a lot over in England as well and I’m sure the Aussie crowd will be giving it back to the Poms like they did to Broady and KP the last time they were here.”

Starc also replied to what Ian Botham said about the current Australian side, who believes this is the poorest team he has ever seen and Stokes exclusion won’t affect England’s chances in Ashes.

The 27-year-old sees Botham as the cheerleader for his team before Ashes. “They’ve got to pump up their team as much as they can. But for us, we’ll just take it when they get on the plane and they get here we’ll assess them and go. It’s no different to the Aussie media talking us up or the Poms talking their team up. It’s all talk until the action starts,” said Starc.

He concluded while saying, “We can sit back at the end of the Sydney Test and say then whether they were right or wrong and bag them then. But for us now it’s all systems forward, just enjoying some domestic cricket and really preparing for the Ashes.”

The battle of the urn will go underway from November 23 in Brisbane. Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney will host the following action into the series.