Starc says Australia players upset at Ashes opener's move from Gabbatoir' to Perth

"We'll find out in a week, won't we? They don't listen to the players, we would have liked to start in Brisbane, too."

"though there are no scars for me from his country's previous failures in Brisbane given he is a first-time Ashes tourist, history would say it's probably a good thing we're not starting at the Gabba."

"We've actually opened the last four summers here, McDonald says. So we've been the first Test of the summer for the last four years. You get all the first-game hype regardless who it is I thought last year with the Indian touring team that it was crazy but this is a whole new level, being in the Ashes. In some ways it's pretty cool that we are the first because it does have that extra little hype, but being a direct flight from the UK to Perth it kind of makes sense that it is the first one. Just being around town you can tell there's a lot of travellers here that have come from the UK to watch this game, so it's going to be really cool to kick it off."

Players are upset at the decision to move the opening Ashes Test from Brisbane's Gabba to Perth Stadium. The Gabba is nicknamed the Gabbatoir for its reputation as the graveyard of touring sides, and England have won just two of their last 20 games there since 1946. Some England players view avoiding the Gabba as advantageous given past touring struggles and first-time tourists report no personal scars from Brisbane defeats. Perth Stadium emphasizes its recent role opening summers, direct-flight proximity to the UK, heightened first-game hype and visible travelling fans. A recent Metallica concert less than three weeks earlier complicates wicket preparation.

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