Nine’s Wide World of Sports
It doesn't get any more brash than predicting an English Ashes whitewash on Australian soil, but David 'Bumble' Lloyd has done just that.
With numerous question marks surrounding the Aussie XI and the fitness of captain Pat Cummins, Lloyd, a former England batsman and coach and now long-time broadcaster, has gone all-in.
"I hate predictions, I can't be doing with them. But I'm gonna turn into Glenn McGrath, it's going to be 5-0 England," he told SEN.
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Australia captain Pat Cummins. Getty
"I was told that's never ever been done."
When asked by Australian cricketing great Ian Healy why he was so confident, Lloyd said "it's dead simple".
"If you come up against a team better than you in their backyard, you will suffer," he said.
"Our guys right now, there's a real sense that we can do something here. We've come over there and lost before. There is a real thought right now that England have a massive chance to win the Ashes in Australia.
"They feel they have the attack, that Australia are at sixes and sevens with the line-up, who will open, who is at three, does Marnus come back in.
"Then there's a really great match up between two of the best in the world with Joe Root and Steve Smith. Whoever comes out on top of those two will have a real influence on the series."
Sam Konstas. Getty
All the talk currently surrounds the Australian top order, which appears to be a battle for three spots between Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Sam Konstas, Jake Weatherald and Matt Renshaw.
Bumble laughed off the notion of any of them having an impact on the Ashes regardless of who is selected.
"All the talk seems to be about Konstas. Has he got substance behind him? It's a big deal to shove a kid in to open. Fair dinkum, if he gets into the side then fair do's.
"If I'm England coach and the team, am I worried about them? None of the names are going to up on the whiteboard. I'm not worried about any of those names.
"Head and Smith are the names that will be on the England whiteboard. They're dangerous, they are game changers."
England has never won the Ashes 5-0 and while there are question marks over the Aussie line-up, the visitors aren't exactly a settled bunch either.
Pace bowlers Jofra Archer and Mark Wood likely hold the key to causing an upset, but Wood remains under an injury cloud while Archer is being carefully managed to ensure his availability for the summer and will sit out upcoming ODIs.
He made his return to Test cricket in 2025 after four years on the sidelines.
The last three Ashes series' in Australia have ended 4-0, 4-0, 5-0 in favour of the home side.
The last time England even won an Ashes Test match away from home was in 2011.
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'Australia are at sixes and sevens': Brash English pundit David Lloyd backing stunning Ashes first – Nine
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