Cape Town - It wouldn't quite be the Ashes if there wasn't an exchange of insults between England and Australia before a ball was bowled.
The pre-series sledging this time around has been particularly bad.
Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon is the latest player to make headlines after his comments suggesting that it wad the aim of the Australian side to get England's Joe Root dropped as captain of the national side.
Lyon was referring to the 2013/14 Ashes which Australia won 5-0 on home soil.
Root, who had a poor series, was dropped for the fifth and final series.
Now, though, he is considered one of the best batsman in the world. That didn't stop Lyon from suggesting that it would be "good" to get him dropped again.
Lyon also suggested that former England wicketkeeper Matt Prior had been "scared" to face Mitchell Johnson during that series.
Prior, taking to Twitter on Tuesday, hit back at Lyon with some harsh words of his own.
I sincerely hope you’re not part of a losing @CricketAus team on home soil @NathLyon421. I still remember being sat on the outfield at the SCG after winning 3-1 while your press&fans were tearing into the Oz players. You want to end careers? Just make sure its not yours that ends
— Matt Prior (@MattPrior13) November 21, 2017