England spin bowler Ashley Giles believes former England cricket players are supporting Australia and deliberately undermining his side's Ashes chances.
Giles was one of a handful of England players who had a disappointing first test at Lord's, where he bowled 11 wicketless overs and made 11 and a duck asAustralia won by 239 runs.
The 32-year-old left-armer was close to quitting cricket last year following constant criticism from fans and commentators over his performances and place in the team.
While he would not name names, he felt he was now fighting a "losing battle".
"Unfortunately, it feels like a lot of ex-players don't want us to win the Ashes, either because they didn't do it or because they were the last people to do it," Giles told Britain's Daily Mail newspaper.
"(Captain) Michael Vaughan has taken a lot of flak, so has (wicketkeeper) Geraint Jones, so have I.
"We expected some if we lost, but there has been an amazing amount of stuff hitting the fan.
"It's at times like that when you think 'If this is what people think, bugger them. I am fighting a losing battle here'.
"But then the other part of you says 'Sod them, I'll get on with it'."
Giles' candid admission is the first evidence England's fickle media has started getting to Vaughan's side in the lead-up to the second test, at Edgbaston starting next Thursday.
Before the Ashes started, Australian captain Ricky Ponting said an early England defeat could bring extra pressure from a demanding local media and the weight of public expectation, both of which invested heavily on England winning back the urn this summer.
Australia's first test win has it on target for a ninth-straight Ashes series victory.
Australia play Worcestershire in a warmup match starting on Saturday.
