Warner regretful over Ashes comments

Australia vice-captain David Warner has admitted he regrets his recent comments likening the upcoming Magellan Ashes series to war but maintains the hosts need to channel some "inward anger" towards England this summer.

Warner raised eyebrows last week when he compared the Ashes with war, earning the ire of a host of former England players including Marcus Trescothick and ex-Test skippers Geoff Boycott and Michael Vaughan.

"The history, the pride that is at stake. As soon as you step on that line it's war," Warner told ABC Radio when asked what the Ashes meant to him.

"You try and get into a battle as quick as you can. I try and look in the opposition's eye and work out how can I dislike this player, how can I get on top of him.

"You've got to find that spark in yourself to really take it to the opposition. You have to delve and dig deep into yourself to get some sort of hatred about them."

But former England opener Trescothick - a veteran of three Ashes series, including the famous 2005 series, in a 76-Test career - labelled the comments "pathetic" and suggested the escalation in pre-series rhetoric as a distraction.

"To come out with those sort of comments is not needed," Trescothick told BBC Sport.

"There's always the hype that comes around before the Ashes, so I don't think it's something the players will be drawn into

"I think it will just be a good distraction, hopefully, for Australia and they can get caught up in the war of words.

"I think it's pathetic."

Warner conceded on Sunday he may have overstepped the mark with his comments, but maintained his assertion that Australia need to play with "some inward anger" when taking on the old enemy.

"I probably regret some of the words I used during the week, but at the end of the day, you've got to try and have some inward anger," Warner said on Channel Nine's Sports Sunday.

"You've got to create a bit of that buzz out there."

Warner famously said England's players had "scared eyes" when facing up to the short-pitched pace barrage of Mitchell Johnson midway through the first Test of the 2013-14 series.

Asked on Sunday whether he expects a hostile Ashes series, Warner said, "I’d like to think so".

Warner has recently said he’s learned lessons from previous run-ins with the ICC, and with a crackdown on verbals broadcast over the stump mic – which coincidentally began with former captain Michael Clarke's infamous exchange with Jimmy Anderson at the Gabba four years ago – he believes a more refined approach is called for.

"The subtle approach these days is how it goes," he said this week. "Look at the Indian series we played (earlier this year), it can get under your skin quite quickly, and the heat gets to everyone."

It remains to be seen how the current England squad handle the express pace of Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins in Australian conditions, and Warner said recent net sessions had been an eye-opener.

"I can tell you now I'm very scared when it comes to the nets so hopefully they (England) are scared because it is challenging facing our guys," Warner said.