England haven\u2019t won an Ashes series since 2015. They haven\u2019t won a Test in Australia since 2011. Warner made a bold prediction that Australia will win the Ashes 3-1 even if skipper Pat Cummins misses the opening Test in Perth.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Speaking at Kayo Sports and Fox Sports\u2019 Summer of Cricket launch in Parramatta, Warner was asked which team\u2019s style would reign supreme in the Ashes beginning on November 21 in Perth. \u201cThe Australian way because we\u2019re playing for the Ashes and they\u2019re playing for a moral victory,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s your headline.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"I\u2019ll just stick with 4-nil,\u201d he added when pressed for a series prediction. \"I think 4-nil. There\u2019s going to be a washout somewhere; it\u2019s generally Sydney. \"4-nil. It\u2019s going to be a great series. All dependant on the captain (Pat Cummins). If the captain doesn\u2019t play, they might win one game. If Cummo\u2019s (Cummins) there, 4-nil. If not, they probably win one game only.\"<\/p>\r\n\r\n
But Warner also warned Australia to not poke English captain Ben Stokes. \u201cI had the fortunate privilege to share a change room with him when he was younger and he has evolved into a serious cricketer and a fantastic leader,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIf we can sort of not poke that bear and get him up and about, I think that will help the Australians enormously. But I do want to see some bantering out on the field and I want to see them going at each other a little bit - obviously not at Stokes \u2013 because that is what creates that energy and involvement in the game.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI think that is where the war of words comes out. Generally it is someone like myself who is starting it, but I want to see someone else in the (Australian) camp start something, whether it is Heady or someone else.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Warner also suggested that Marnus Labuschagne\u2019s prior experience and success in the Test arena put him firmly in contention for next month\u2019s Ashes series opener and also backed young star Sam Konstas to remain at the top of the order for the first Ashes match.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cMarnus has obviously come out of the blocks very well. When you\u2019ve got a lot of Test cricket under your belt, you know what he\u2019s capable of and you know what he can do. When someone\u2019s averaging 50 in Test cricket, you\u2019ve probably got to go back to that,\" he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Labuschagne opened the batting for Australia with Usman Khawaja in the World Test Championship final loss to South Africa at Lord\u2019s in June, before the latter was axed for the West Indies tour in June-July after making scores of 17 and 22.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Warner called for Konstas to open the batting alongside Usman Khawaja for the Ashes despite a recent dip in form. The young New South Welshman, who turned 20 last week, endured a torrid tour of the West Indies, accumulating 50 runs at 8.33 across the three Tests.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Labuschagne opened the batting for Australia with Usman Khawaja in the World Test Championship final loss to South Africa at Lord\u2019s in June, before the latter was axed for the West Indies tour in June-July after making scores of 17 and 22.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI\u2019d like them to try and stick with Sam, give him a crack. He scored that hundred in the Australian A series. I thought he batted outstandingly there. I don\u2019t think we\u2019ve seen exactly what we know Sam Konstas can do. It\u2019s a short-term fix if they want to try and find someone else ... but there\u2019s no reason why Sam Konstas can\u2019t do that,\" said Warner.<\/p>\r\n\r\n