Graham Gooch has urged England to be brave mentally when taking to the field to face Australia during the Ashes.
England are aiming to win their first series against their old foes down under since 2011, and the return of all-rounder Ben Stokes certainly bolsters their chances.
However, the side will have to guard against Aussie sledging which has psyched out several opponents over the years.
Gooch, 68, who has experience playing against England’s biggest foes in the prestigious Test series, suggested Joe Root's men need to win the mental battle if they are to reclaim the famous urn.
“You don't take a backwards step that's for sure because Australia will come hard at you with the ball and verbally,” he told FreeSuperTips .
“They try to undermine you, I'm not sure where sledging is at the minute in the game because you've got to be careful.
“Australian players aren't shy at saying something, they talk to each other the way bowlers would to the fielders to try and undermine you.
“You've got to stand up to that challenge, take a step forward and take the game to Australia.”
The former England captain recalled the side’s famous series win in 2005, their first Ashes victory over their rivals since 1987.
He credited that team’s positive and proactive mindset for the remarkable victory, and believes the current crop of players will need to draw inspiration from that performance.
“I think when we won that great series in 2005, we took 20 Australian wickets in the first test and we lost,” Gooch added.
“But Michael Vaughan and his team changed their attitudes to the game and they took Australia on from that second test match at Edgbaston.
“You've got to have a go forward attitude, you can't sit back to see what might happen as the game goes on and see if you're still in it going into the latter stages.
“They need to take it to Australia in every single session.”
Speaking of the five-day game, the former Essex captain is concerned about the status of Test cricket with the continued rise in popularity of T20 and franchise leagues.
The Hundred competition was a huge success this summer and Gooch fears those forms of cricket will continue to “dilute” the longest format of the game.
“There were some good ideas in the hundred, but the cricket is basically the same style wise,” he surmised.
“All franchise cricket and short form cricket dilutes test match cricket because players are retiring early and taking the white ball option.
“It's getting away from the traditional game. I go to lots of T20 games at Essex, but it's not the same as test match cricket and I hope it survives. I will admit it is under pressure though."
