Australia are preparing to embark on a five-match one-day international series many are portraying as a rehearsal for next year's Ashes.
Their captain Michael Clarke is hardly refuting the notion either that there is significant reconnaissance to be had, albeit in the shorter format, for a developing team which will carry the hopes of a nation this time next year.
It would be overstating things perhaps to claim Australia's flagging sports fortunes - their habitual presence at the business end of Wimbledon was over in record time on Wednesday - rest on success or otherwise in the NatWest Series.
But a favourable outcome for the world's number one 50-over team, starting at Lord's on Friday, will naturally boost self-belief in the prospect of regaining the Ashes next summer.
Clarke does not dispute the benefit of introduction to English conditions for some of the younger members among his potential Ashes protagonists.
But he was at pains too on Thursday to insist Australia have only the present at the forefront of their minds.
"It's all about the one-day series for me and the Australian team," he said.
"Obviously we've got a few guys who have never played international cricket in the UK, so it's a good opportunity for those guys to see the conditions.
"But our focus is 100% on these one-day matches."
Australia will not be under-estimating their opponents either.
"They're playing some really good cricket and they've had a lot of success in their own backyard, so we know it's going to be really tough cricket and we're going to have to be at our best to compete with them," added Clarke.
"This is going to be a good test against a very good English one-day team with a lot of confidence under their belt.
"Our goal as an Australian cricket team is to be number one in the world in all three forms."
That aspiration is one achievable in the short term only by England - top of two International Cricket Council tables and able to knock Australia off their number one ODI perch over the next two weeks if they can somehow win the series 5-0.
That eventuality was, for contrasting reasons, a subject favoured by neither Clarke nor his opposite number Alastair Cook in their Lord's press conferences on Thursday.
The Australia captain was more effusive, though, about teenage fast bowler Pat Cummins - just seven matches into his international career, but already the source of much hype after an outstanding performance in his solitary Test to date against South Africa in Johannesburg.
Asked whether he expects the 19-year-old to rise to the occasion at the home of cricket, Clarke said: "He's done so in the past.
"His debut against South Africa was exceptional.
"He loves his cricket, so he'll be out there just to try and enjoy himself and do as well as he possibly can."
As for his own billing, the face of Australian cricket for English supporters to focus on in the absence of their favoured public enemy Ricky Ponting, Clarke is not fazed over becoming the villain of the piece for partisan crowds this summer.
"It wouldn't be the first time," Clarke said.
"I'll look forward to laughing. They are always quite funny."
Teams:
England (from): AN Cook (Captain), IR Bell, IJL Trott, RS Bopara, EJG Morgan, C Kieswetter (wkt), TT Bresnan, SCJ Broad, GP Swann, ST Finn, JM Anderson, SR Patel, JM Bairstow, JW Dernbach
Australia (from): MJ Clarke (Captain), SR Watson, DA Warner, GJ Bailey, DJ Hussey, SPD Smith, MS Wade (wkt), B Lee, PJ Cummins, XJ Doherty, JL Pattinson, BW Hilfenhaus, MG Johnson, CJ McKay, PJ Forrest
Umpires: A Dar (Pak) and R Kettleborough
Third umpire: M Erasmus (SA)
Match referee: J Srinath (Ind)
