Australian cricket legends pour cold water on English commentator David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd’s Ashes whitewash tip

It’s the light-hearted prediction that could light a fire under a bruised and battered Australian team - England to win the Ashes 5-0. But a trio of Australian cricket greats have poured cold water on English commentator David “Bumble” Lloyd’s wry predictions of a whitewash as the lead-up to the Ashes ignites. Justin Langer, Mitchell Johnson and Kim Hughes have cheekily fired back at Lloyd’s tongue-in-cheek comments predicting a resounding result to the tourists. And ex-Test captain Hughes believes England’s bowlers’ lack of bowling down under will haunt them when next month’s series gets underway in Perth for the West Test on November 21. Quizzed on SENQ Breakfast for a series prediction, ex-England coach Lloyd channeled Australian great Glenn McGrath after he bluntly tipped a 5-0 win to the hosts on BBC Radio 5 Live in August. “I hate predictions, I can’t be doing with them. I’m gonna turn into Glenn McGrath, it’s going to be 5-0 England,” Lloyd declared on air. “I was told that’s never ever been done.” Langer, the former Australian opener and Test coach and a columnist for The West Australian, said Lloyd’s comments were all part of the fun and pageantry of the pre-series build-up. “One of the great, and funniest people I have met in the game, a wry smile came over my face when I saw his prediction,” he said. “The drama and narrative are reflective of the lead-up to all Ashes series. I love it, but I take all predictions with a grain of salt and a bucket load of perspective. David’s is no different.” Fast bowling great Johnson, a columnist for The Sunday Times and Nightly, played down Lloyd’s comments. “Their best result down here was in 1928-29 when they won 4-1 with Hobbs, Sutcliffe, Hammond, Larwood and Jardine,” Johnson said. “I’m not seeing that calibre in this squad, so let’s call it what it is: standard pre-Ashes banter.” Hughes said Lloyd’s quipped prediction was laughable — partly due to England’s lack of experience in Australian conditions, as he tipped them to struggle in the Perth opener. “I don’t know what he was smoking, but it’s not good and it’s not legal. It’s laughable” he said. England will play only one practice match in Australia before the first Test, against England Lions at Lilac Hill and Hughes worried about how star batters Joe Root — who is still yet to score a Test century in Australia — Ben Stokes, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett would fare. “Jofra Archer and Mark Wood are very exciting, but they need some real good, tough conditioning — and you don’t get it in practice matches, you get it in hard, tough preparation,” Hughes said. “Certainly bowling in Perth, which will be one of the quickest wickets in the world, you won’t be playing Bazball too much, not unless you want to get rissoled, because you can’t drive the ball on the up, you’ve got to get a real half-volley. “It’s not so much how well you bowl down wind, it’s how well you bowl up into the wind. “I know the wind at Optus Stadium is not the same as at the WACA, but when you have a look at the English bowlers, I’m not too sure who they’ve got to bowl up into the wind. “That’s where blokes like Scott Boland particularly, will be very handy indeed, and Nathan Lyon especially.” Wood is the only member of England’s pace attack who has played Tests in Australia and Archer has only played two Tests since 2021 and has missed the last two Ashes through injury. Fellow contenders Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue and Gus Atkinson have not played the five-day format on Australian shores. “Jimmy Anderson struggled in Australia. It is totally different. The ball will seam around a lot more over in England,” Hughes said. “It will be a very close series, and I’ve got no doubt, given five full days, there’ll be a result here in Perth. No doubt about that. The key will be at the top order batting, and then you’re bowling with the new ball, and that’s where Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazelwood and Boland (thrive).” Hughes also suggested some of the veteran Australian side may be eyeing up the series as their last hurrah against England. “A lot of these guys will be looking at it, saying this is my last chance at a big series. At the end of this summer, there’ll be a few that will say ‘I’m off into the sunset’ so they will be absolutely desperate, don’t worry about that.”