LONDON (UK): Former England opener Geoffrey Boycott has said left-handed batter Dawid Malan has the patience and concentration to let Australia's sledging go over his head. England and Australia will lock horns in the five-match Ashes series, beginning December 8 in Brisbane.
"In Australia, the crowds are more vocal and partisan than in the UK. The Australian media get behind the home team, and try to help by undermining England. They can be cruel. On the 2013/14 tour, Aussie coach Darren Lehmann made Stuart Broad's life a misery by asking the public and media to give him hell for not walking in the Nottingham Test the previous summer," Boycott wrote in his column for The Telegraph, reported Fox Sports.
"He (Malan) has the patience and concentration to let the sledging go over his head. They will all get plenty of that because the Aussies cannot help themselves. They can talk all they want about changing but it is in their make-up to sledge," he added.
Further talking about the Ashes series, Boycott said: "If players on both sides stay fit then you have to admit the Australian bowling unit is far superior to England's in Australian conditions."
"But the most important thing of all is do England's players have the desire and commitment to succeed? If yes then they have a chance. If not, then Australia will win comfortably," he added.
England men's head coach Chris Silverwood on Sunday had named a 17-player squad for the Ashes tour of Australia starting in November. England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said all 17 players have been capped at Test level and are the strongest available squad selected by Silverwood. Ten of the 17 will be touring Australia in an Ashes series for the first time, including vice-captain Jos Buttler.
