Aug 14th, 2017

Aug 14th, 2017

The Ashes may be more than three months away but England captain Joe Root is already preparing his fresh-faced squad for a barrage of verbals from Aussie cricket fans.

For the likes of Mark Stoneman, Tom Westley, Dawid Malan, Toby Roland-Jones and Mason Crane, the next few weeks represent a golden chance to seal a maiden Ashes trip; for Root, just four games into his captaincy, it is an opportunity to prepare those recent arrivals for the challenges awaiting them.

And Root still remembers how the banter from the crowd affected him in 2013/14 when he made his first trip to Australia.

"I think it's important to warn them," Root said.

"You don't want to go out there and it just hit you like a train. You want to make sure you're fully aware of what's coming your way.

"I was slightly surprised. I thought they might give us a bit of banter but it was a bit more than that.

"There were a few chants from the crowd that were quite personal at times, quite offensive. A lot of our side was similar to the one which went and won (in 2010/11). They all said it was an amazing tour, they had a great time. My experience was different, it was very hostile...quite aggressive at times on and off the field.

"The thing to remember, even if it doesn't seem it at the time, is it's generally in good spirit and they're just trying to create an atmosphere for their side."

Root is a different player and a different man to the one who was scorched by the heat of battle four years ago.

With the bat he has averaged 59.42 since being stood down for the Sydney Test, making 10 of his 12 career hundreds, and graduated to the top job in English cricket this summer with a calm sense of inevitability.

With all that in mind he is happy to take his share of slings and arrows this time around, if there are any to spare once the crowd are finishing with their old sparring partner Stuart Broad.

"We all like a pantomime villain," Root said.

"Certain characters like Stuart thrive on that, so hopefully they pick a good villain who enjoys it and it works to our advantage.

"I think it's part and parcel of being a senior player and more established in the side. You take that responsibility. You can't choose who they pick on but it's a challenge Test cricket throws up on occasion."

©PAA2017