Denly: Australia will get a bit of stick

London, July 31: Joe Denly will have no sympathy for Australia if they are taunted over the 2018 ball-tampering scandal by England fans during the Ashes.

Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft have been included in Australia's squad for the first Test at Edgbaston on Thursday.

All three players were handed suspensions by Cricket Australia following their involvement in altering the condition of the ball during a match against South Africa in March 2018.

Smith and Warner returned to Australia's squad for the Cricket World Cup after serving 12-month bans and were the targets of jibes from England supporters in a warm-up match, a group-stage clash and the semi-final.

Catching practice with a twist pic.twitter.com/rYmMptQBQi

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 30, 2019

Bancroft, meanwhile, is "very close" to making his first international appearance since a nine-month suspension, according to coach Justin Langer, who acknowledged on Tuesday his side can do little to avoid negative treatment from the home crowd.

And Denly, who will bat at four in the opening Test with Joe Root moving up to three, believes England would not be received any differently by Australia supporters if the situation was reversed.

"If it was the other way around and we were going out to Australia, I'm pretty sure we would hear a lot about it," he told a media conference.

"What the crowd decides to do I don't know. I'm sure the Aussies might hear a little bit about sandpaper-gate throughout the series.

"I can't really comment on how [the crowd] will be feeling but after a few beers I'm sure the Aussies might get a bit of stick."

(With OPTA inputs)