Long before the start of the much-anticipated Ashes series between Australia and England, shots are being fired from both camps as Ben Stokes's side is set to tour Down Under for a five-match Test series beginning on November 21 in Perth. David Warner, who has been vocal and has not shied away from expressing his honest opinions, took another dig at England. He said Australia will hold the edge over the English side because they will be playing to win the Ashes, whereas England will be playing for a moral victory. “The Australian way because we’re playing for the Ashes and they’re playing for a moral victory,” Warner was quoted as saying by Fox Sports. “There’s your headline,” he added. However, he also suggested that the Australians should avoid a battle with England skipper Ben Stokes, who has repeatedly been a clutch player for his side in extreme adversity. Stokes is known for shining under pressure; his knocks during the Headingley Test and the 2019 ODI World Cup final have made him one of the most clutch players of all time. Warner said Stokes has evolved into a "fantastic leader" and a "serious cricketer." “I 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,” he said. “If 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 - because that is what creates that energy and involvement in the game. I 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,” added Warner.
