Australia's sledging is second rate, says Key

England's rookie batsman unimpressed by Ashes winners' attempts to dominate the war of words on the pitch

The England batsman Robert Key has found a weakness in Australian cricket. Unfortunately for Nasser Hussain's battered side it is not in their batting, bowling or fielding. It is in the art of sledging – verbal intimidation of your opponent. According to the Kent opening batsman the Aussies, who for years have had a reputation for possessing the fiercest and sharpest tongues in the game, need to raise their game.

"They may be the best team in the world but their sledging is pretty ordinary," said Key after playing consecutive Test matches against Australia in Adelaide and Perth.

"Some talk at you, some about you. Matthew Hayden tends to talk throughout your entire innings, he kept going on about how my helmet looked on my head. They weren't particularly nasty and some of it was quite funny but not a great deal is said and what they do say is pretty pathetic really. It is not mental disintegration as Steve Waugh [the Australian captain] calls it, it is just talking rubbish." And it has been the ability of the 23-year-old to handle coolly everything that Australia have thrown at him, whether it be verbal or physical, that has led to Key being one of the few pluses arising from this Ashes débâcle.

"I quite enjoy all the banter," he said. "When they start getting into you it is good to try and stare them down or come back with something, but I only do this if I have got something decent stored up." And Key is likely to face the same music again here tomorrow evening (morning UK time) at the Sydney Cricket Ground. In their first warm-up game for the VB one-day series – which includes Australia and Sri Lanka – Hussain's team take on a strong New South Wales Blues side in a day-night 50-over match.

Due to play for NSW are Steve Waugh, Brett Lee and Glenn McGrath, three of Australia's Ashes-winning squad from Perth, as well as Mark Waugh and Michael Bevan, who is considered a one-day specialist for the World champions.

Such a highly talented line-up rules out any chance of England having a nice gentle, pressure-free introduction to this tournament and never has the international football managers' line of "there are no easy games" been more applicable.

There is no shortage of motivation for the NSW team either. They will want to play their part in keeping the Poms down and in the Waugh twins the Blues have a couple of players keen to prove a point. Neither Steve nor Mark are involved in Australia's one-day set-up or are on the provisional list of 30 for the World Cup in February.

England, however, will field an inexperienced side come what may, because this is the nature of the 16 players named earlier this week. Concerns about Michael Vaughan's knee, which have led to him remaining in Perth to strengthen the joint, have given Key a chance to force his way into England's World Cup plans at this late stage.

"I thought I had half a chance when I heard Vaughan would not be going," said the unflustered Key, "but when I got the call it was still a surprise."

The England coach, Duncan Fletcher, was critical of the fact that the Test series was interrupted by this one-day tournament but the break gives him and his squad a chance to regroup then attempt to build some sort of momentum. Key, like his captain Hussain, feels that this break has come at just the right time.

Unlike in a Test match, where you need several of your side to perform to win, a one-day game can be won by the brilliance of one or two. Because of this, upsets occur more often and if England can play well, it may help them in the two remaining Tests.

"This is definitely a chance for us to change the mood of this tour," Key said. "We have been beaten comprehensively over the last three Tests and this could do us some good because if we play well it could help us in the last two Tests.

"These matches also give us a chance to try a few things out that you wouldn't get the chance to do in a Test match. Nasser and I both tried this in Perth. He came walking down the wicket to McGrath who wasn't bowling a bad ball. I tried walking across a couple of times and ended up getting out lbw but if we can work on something now that could break up his rhythm, then why not have a go at them in Test matches."

While it is encouraging to see a young player unafraid of trying things out against the best bowlers in the world, success in Test cricket is about patience as much as anything. Australia score at four an over because they have players who are good enough. England need to bat and get runs the English way, not through attempting to compete with the Aussies.

But Key has been a refreshing addition to the squad because of his honesty and the way he is happy to have a laugh at his own expense. On being asked about his physique – which is never going to be chiselled out of granite – and whether he was fitter than he looked, his reply was: "I would like to think so, it wouldn't be hard." Key will ultimately be judged by what he does on the field. He has made a reasonably good start and further progress over the next month will keep the sledgers away for good.