Langer hits back at 'Dad's Army' jibes

Justin Langer has scoffed at suggestions the Australia team is too old to pose a threat to England during the Ashes. Ian Botham and Dennis Lillee have both argued that the home side's starting 11 for the first Test, which should include at least six players aged 35 or over, could be Australia's undoing.

Langer, who turns 36 next week and is the oldest of Australia's batsmen, was one of the players lampooned by England's News of the World newspaper as part of an Australian "Dad's Army" photo. He said such criticisms worried him less now than in the past. "I'm better at handling it now than I was six or seven years ago," Langer told The Australian.

"I understand how it all works with the media so I don't get too caught up in it. I say to people who reckon I'm past my best, in my last few first-class matches I've made my highest first-class score [342 for Somerset] and made 188 not out [against Victoria]."

Langer, who topped Australia's batting averages in the 2005 Ashes series, was struck on the helmet by Makhaya Ntini in the South Africa series earlier this year and then missed Australia's tour of Bangladesh. "Last year was the toughest year I had for four or five years because of injuries, which I've never had before," Langer said.

Despite debate about the age of Australia's team for the opening Ashes Test on November 23, Ricky Ponting said it was unlikely the in-form Phil Jaques, who is 27, would play. "I wouldn't have thought so, no," Ponting told the Sydney Morning Herald. "[Phil's] doing everything he can, but Justin's the incumbent and he's been doing such a great job for Australia over such a long time, I think that would be unrealistic." The Australia team for the first Test will be announced on Thursday.