Melbourne [Australia], October 21 (ANI): Australian pacer Scott Boland believes he has gained the skills and confidence to tackle England's aggressive Bazball approach in the upcoming Ashes series. The 36-year-old gave very little attention to the criticism from English greats Mike Atherton and Stuart Broad, as per Fox Cricket.

The Victorian quick, who featured in the last Ashes in 2023, was targeted by the English batters during that series, took only two wickets for 231 runs across matches in Leeds and Birmingham. Atherton remarked that Boland posed 'no fear' to England's top order, while Broad recently termed the current Australian squad potentially their weakest since 2010-11 series, which was won by England.

'I said the other day that all the past players are going to come out and have their opinion. So they can do that. We are just going to concentrate on our cricket,' Boland said, as quoted from Fox Cricket.

He feels more prepared than ever after a strong domestic season.

'I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited by what's coming up this summer. Every summer that comes up, I want to be in the team and playing a part,' he noted.

'I'm still happy being 12th man if I do miss out, because I know I'm next in line if something does happen, or if they want a change of change of bowler, or if they want to play four quicks, which probably won't happen in Australia. But there's nothing better than being in the Australian squad for a test something like this,' he added.

The pacer, who recently picked up eight wickets in a Sheffield Shield match against New South Wales, said, 'It's not really me showing my skills against them. It's probably more (that) I believe in my skills. So it's just me wanting to put out a really good performance.'

'I'm a proud cricketer. I want to put in my best performance every time I can. So that's probably the main thing,' he noted.

'I know that there's going to be spells where, even the other day, I was going at five to six an over, (but) I think I'm getting better at managing my mind around all that stuff,' he added.

'Sometimes, when you're used to going in Shield games ... at two an over, you look up and you are going at five or six, it's a bit different, so I think it's just about managing those emotions. I think I did it pretty well the other day and was able to fight back and bowl one really good spell,' he said.

Australia are yet to name their squad for the Ashes.

Meanwhile, Steve Smith, who will lead Australia if Pat Cummins misses a Test, backed Boland, calling him one of the best bowlers in world cricket.

'We've got a pretty good replacement in Scott Boland, who I think is arguably one of the best bowlers in the world,' he said, as quoted by Fox Cricket.

'His record in Australia is outrageous. We're good there. I don't think it disrupts too much, I suppose, (if Cummins misses). We're lucky to have Scotty there ready to go,' he noted.

Boland has an exceptional Test record, taking 62 wickets in just 14 matches at a remarkable average of 16.53, with two fifers and a ten-fer and insists he feels physically and mentally ready to play all five Tests if required.

He took 18 wickets in the 2021-22 series win at home. This year, in two Tests, he scalped 16 wickets, including a 10-wicket haul at an average of 7.00, and in the last four Tests, he picked up 27 wickets. (ANI)