ENG vs AUS 2018: Jos Buttler Expecting Australia to be 'Highly-Disciplined and Hard-Working'

When it comes to deciding what is still acceptable on the cricket field regarding sledging, England star Jos Buttler is still not unsure.

However, the hard-hitting batsman is confident of one thing: even without Steven Smith and David Warner, Australia will be as aggressive and hard-nosed as ever during the upcoming ODI series.

In the wake of the ball-tampering scandal in March early this year, Australian cricket had witnessed a wave of changes. Cricket Australia handed lengthy bans to Smith, Warner and Cameron Bancroft.

On the other hand, Justin Langer replaced Darren Lehmann as the head coach of the team. Tim Paine is now named the skipper for the ODIs while Aaron Finch has been given the responsibility of the T20I side.

Australia will lock horns against England in five one-day internationals, and a T20 clash, as the desperately look to rebuild their reputation.

“Maybe verbally, but I don’t think tactically, and cricket-wise they’ll still be an aggressive side,” Buttler said on Friday (June 8). “Everyone’s opinion on the word sledging, everyone determines that differently. My interpretation of sledging is completely different to yours, to Justin Langer’s to Eoin Morgan’s. So there are always going to be grey areas.

“There are obviously loads of different techniques; there is a grey area, I don’t understand what’s allowed and what isn’t. People always say, “I know where the line is” but it depends on whose line it is. It’s a very hard area to judge.

“You wouldn’t walk down the street and abuse a postman if he didn’t deliver the letters in the right way. But at the same time, in professional sport, what did Steve Waugh call it? Mental disintegration – If you’re making someone in the middle think about something else and not 100 per cent focused on the ball coming then you’re gaining an advantage,” he added.

In their recent media interactions, both Langer and Paine insisted they will continue to sledge opposition players.

Butter further spoke about how eager Australia will be to put the whole ball-tampering saga behind them.

He also backed Australia to adapt their new coach’s fierce methods. Buttler is no stranger to working under Langer. The England star was finding his feet in the game at Somerset during Langer’s spell as captain.

“The mantras he lives by I saw a little bit. They’ll be a highly-disciplined, hard-working team with a hard-nosed, competitive edge. They’re still going to have that side; it’s international cricket, it’s hard and competitive. So I think they’re coming, as well, with a bit of a point to prove. And to put (the ball-tampering) behind them and start playing cricket again. So I expect a really tough series and tough cricket on the pitch.”