Steve Smith and the Australian team to exploit home ground advantage over patchy Poms

THE ongoing pay dispute will leave its mark on Australian cricketers but Steve Smith plans on exploiting “scars” of a different kind during this summer’s Ashes.

Steve will be out to reclaim the urn this summer, having excelled with the bat but watched his team tumble to a 3-2 series loss during the 2015 tour of England.

THE ongoing pay dispute will leave its mark on Australian cricketers but Steve Smith plans on exploiting “scars” of a different kind during this summer’s Ashes.

Pay talks between Cricket Australia (CA) and the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) have advanced in recent days.

A resolution is expected to come soon, ensuring Smith’s side travel to Bangladesh for a two-Test series that starts later this month. Australia will then visit India for a limited-overs tour before returning home for the much-anticipated Ashes.

SOFTLY SPOKEN: Smith defends approach to pay ‘war’

Smith will be out to reclaim the urn this summer, having excelled with the bat but watched his team tumble to a 3-2 series loss during the 2015 tour of England.

Steve will be out to reclaim the urn this summer, having excelled with the bat but watched his team tumble to a 3-2 series loss during the 2015 tour of England.

The fresh-faced skipper was also part of the 2013-14 series, during which Mitchell Johnson memorably bowled Australia to a 5-0 series victory. Smith expects that resounding defeat will be on the minds of some Englishmen when they arrive in Australia.

“Playing at home is always nice. A couple of the guys probably have a few scars from what happened last time when they came out here,” Smith told Fox Sports. “Hopefully we’ll be able to exploit some of those.”

England’s form in the whites has been patchy. They have lost six of their past nine Tests.

But a recent 239-run win over South Africa was a reminder of how dangerous Joe Root’s team can be, especially when Ben Stokes is firing with bat and ball.

“They’re a good side. They’re playing some pretty good cricket at the moment. They’ve got some dangerous players,” Smith said.

The first Test between Australia and England starts at the Gabba on November 23.