Lancashire and England opener Haseeb Hameed feels that the crowds in Australia will play a big role in the Ashes series.
Hameed missed out on the tour after an indifferent return from an injury suffered while on England duty in India.
The teenager has backed Joe Root’s team to come out on top in a hotly contested Ashes campaign but admitted it won’t be at all easy for the tourists.
Hameed told Lancashire’s website: “I think everyone knows it’s going to be a difficult series because anytime you go to Australia it’s never going to be easy.
“There’s the added hype and expectation around an Ashes series and from I’ve heard, it sounds like the Australian crowd gets pretty involved. There’s definitely more pressure around a series against Australia compared to any other Test side.
“We should be optimistic about England’s chances. We’ve got an experienced bowling line up and it’s going to be important that they pick up wickets. We’ve got a different skill set to Australia which is fair to say but England have so much experience in the side.
“We’ve got bowlers like Jimmy and Broady who will take wickets, whilst in the batting you’ve got Cook, Root, Moeen Ali and Jonny Bairstow who you’d back to score runs in any conditions.
“Australia, much like England in many ways, don’t have all their starting places in the side nailed on so it’s going to be an interesting series. I’m backing England to win 2-1.”
England have struggled to fill the openers slot alongside stalwart and former skipper Alastair Cook, with Hameed among those trialed in the position along with Keaton Jennings and incumbent Mark Stoneman.
The first of five Ashes Tests gets underway on November 23 in Brisbane.
