Monday 6 July 2015 11:48, UK
James Anderson claims his sledging days are behind him but admits that being confrontational has benefited his bowling in the past.
Australian duo Mitchell Johnson and Brad Haddin have said Anderson was one of the biggest sledgers in the England team.
But an older and wiser Anderson, now 32, says he is no longer looking for verbal confrontations, telling The Sun: "It was something I used effectively for a few years and it helped my game.
“But I'm at a stage in my career where I'm not keen to engage opponents in wars of words as much as I did.
"The pre-Ashes phoney war has been in full swing for a while now and I've already been called a hypocrite.
"It's all because I said that verbal confrontations are not something I need as much these days. I've come to realise I don't need to chirp away.”
Over the years, the Australia cricket team have generally been described as the ‘kings of sledging’ with Anderson’s latest remarks about his own decision to curb his vocal approach receiving plenty of comments from this summer’s tourists.
The Burnley-born fast bowler added: "The response from Haddin and Johnson was that I should look in the mirror because I've started plenty of confrontations.
The response from Haddin and Johnson was that I should look in the mirror.
"Well, I'm not saying I didn't. What I am saying is that it's not something I rely on any more. We (England) are not going to seek out trouble, go looking for fights or start sledging."
Watch this summer’s Ashes series live on Sky Sports. First Test between England and Australia starts in Cardiff on Wednesday on Sky Sports 2 HD.
