Moeen Ali has called on England fans to give David Warner and Steve Smith a fair go during the Cricket World Cup with Australia to face the hosts this Saturday in a warm-up match in Southampton.

Key points: Steve Smith and David Warner could be in for a hot reception from English cricket fans over ball-tampering this northern summer

Steve Smith and David Warner could be in for a hot reception from English cricket fans over ball-tampering this northern summer They will get their first idea of the strength of fans' feeling when Australia plays England in a World Cup warm-up match this weekend

They will get their first idea of the strength of fans' feeling when Australia plays England in a World Cup warm-up match this weekend England's Moeen Ali has called for the pair to get a fair go

But the sympathy doesn't run very far on English shores, with England great Ian Botham warning the Aussies to prepare for abuse this northern summer.

The defending champions continue their preparations with an unofficial hit-out with the West Indies on Wednesday (7:30pm AEST) before facing the host nation and world number one side in front of an expected crowd of more than 10,000.

Coach Justin Langer and his counterpart Ottis Gibson are expected to field 12 batsmen as they look to finalise their line-ups for the start of the tournament next week.

The Australians will kick off their campaign against Afghanistan on June 1 but are braced for a hostile reception on Saturday following the ball-tampering scandal that led to Smith and Warner's 12-month bans.

But Moeen, who claimed in his autobiography to be the victim of a racial slur by an unnamed Australian player during the 2017 Ashes, wants fans to enjoy the cricket and not abuse opponents.

"I really hope they don't get too much stick," Moeen said in The Guardian.

"I want them to enjoy the series. If you have to, keep it funny, not personal.

"We all make mistakes. We are human beings and we have feelings. I know deep down they are probably really good people.

"I just hope they get treated decently. I just want the cricket to be spoken about."

'I hate cheating': Botham opens up on Aussies

Legendary all-rounder Botham, speaking at the launch of his range of Australian wines at the Australian High Commission in London, said he had no sympathy for Smith, Warner and Cameron Bancroft following the sandpaper incident in Cape Town.

The trio all served suspensions for their roles in the incident 16 months ago.

"I hate cheating and that is what they did, they cheated," Botham said.

"One of the players [Bancroft] captains my county [Durham] and I'll have to show him that Fosters advert where the Aussie lads are taking phone calls for advice while rubbing a ball with sandpaper.

"The Barmy Army have already done about eight or nine songs — I think David Warner might feature a fair bit in those."

The return of Smith and Warner will bolster the Australia top order, but also poses questions as to who should be left out.

Shaun Marsh and Usman Khawaja are vying for a starting spot.

Steve Smith and David Warner's return raises questions over who will miss out in Australia's batting order? ( AAP: Glenn Hunt )

Khawaja's magnificent series as an opener against India where he hit two centuries and then averaged 54.40 at the top of the order against Pakistan, should be enough to seal a spot.

However, Marsh's form last year in England was one of the few highlights in a galling 5-0 series defeat.

The West Australian cracked two centuries 12 months ago and looked in imperious touch during a two-day training session at Whitgift School last weekend.

Adam Zampa and Nathan Lyon are also pushing for dual spin selection with the pair given plenty of time in the middle last weekend as the batsmen gear up for Afghan spinners Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi.

"We've got got to squeeze 15 into 11," Langer said.

"There's 15 guys who could easily play in the first game against Afghanistan.

"These things have a way of working themselves out and by the time we get to Bristol I'm sure we'll be pretty clear on what our first XI is going to be.

"We're pretty close at the moment but there's still a few spots up for grabs."

AAP