Harris backs Oz pace attack to silence critics with Ashes success

Australian bowler Ryan Harris has backed the Australian pace attack to silence the team's critics, who has declared them 'at least a match for their James Anderson-led counterparts'.

Australia is being written off as a lost cause everywhere from social media to the back pages of the British tabloids, with a common theme being predictions of a 10-0 England whitewash of the looming back-to-back Ashes series, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

The report further said that former England skipper Vaughan has led the charge in the Twitter, seizing on every Australian stumble in the lead-up.

However, Harris said that he just laughs off Vaughan's tweets, adding that he and his teammates do not need the mockery to inspire them as his team has got enough motivation to play in the Ashes series and win back the urn.

Despite England spearhead Anderson being widely regarded as the premier quick in Test cricket, Harris threw down the gauntlet to England captain Alastair Cook and his batting line-up by saying that Australia's pace attack is potentially more devastating than England's.

According to Harris, after his comeback, James Pattinson has bowled well and fast during the Australia A games, with Peter Siddle doing the same.

Praising Mitchell Starc, Harris said that if Starc delivers the same performance that he did last summer, it would be a tough time for Cook and his men, adding that their attack is suited to the English conditions.