Brisbane: Australia head coach Justin Langer urged his players not to mess with Barmy Army, the infamous England cricket fans group, during the 2019 World Cup and Ashes this summer.
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Langer said that the Barmy Army will target Steve Smith and David Warner, who returned to the Australia team after ball-tampering bans.
The Barmy Army mocked Langer's height in 2002 after he criticised them for taunting team-mate Brett Lee. "It's the biggest lesson of my sporting career. Don't mess with the Barmy Army, their songs are humiliating," he said.The former Australia opener Langer called the Barmy Army a 'disgrace' after they repeatedly called no-ball when Lee was bowling during the 2002 Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. Even Langer claimed that England fans responded with a song about the seven dwarfs from the Snow White fairy-tale. Smith and Warner, who were in the gutsy form in IPL, are expected to feature in Australia's World Cup opener against Afghanistan on June 1 at Bristol. The Ashes series will get underway on August 1 at Edgbaston.
David Warner and Steve Smith are expected to play for Australia in their WC opener against Afghanistan. The former captain and vice-captain completed their 12-month ban on March 28. They were reintegrated with the squad in Dubai in March and recently joined Australia's World Cup preparation camp in Brisbane.
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"There's no tension, honestly. We're so excited to have the boys back, we're just so excited about playing cricket," Langer said.
"It's been a big build-up to it. It's a bit like facing fast bowling, isn't it? You worry about it until you get out there and it's not as bad as you thought it was.
"It's the same with the boys coming back in."
