London: Stoking the fires ahead of the Ashes, David Gower has said that Australia is a country with “no culture” and that its cricketers have a “certain animal mentality”.

Asked if England’s long-standing rivalry with Australia was a clash of cultures, Gower said: “I’m tempted to say, how can you have a clash of cultures when you’re playing against a country with no culture? That would almost be sledging. It’s the same with sledging on the field... There’s a certain animal mentality, and if they sense a bit of weakness, they’ll try it on more,” Gower said.

Gower’s comments come ahead of a busy fixture between the two rivals, which begins with a Champions Trophy clash at Edgbaston on Saturday and continues with five Tests, two T20 Internationals and five more one-day Internationals in the coming months.

Gower said: “If you’re on the boundary, you have to be very, very thick-skinned, because the Aussie crowd will try you with absolutely anything.”

               (PTI)