The Australian cricket team's focus will return to England and the fourth Test, after absorbing the news of Shane Warne's retirement plans.

Most Australian players will fly into Melbourne on Friday, ahead of next week's Boxing Day Test at the MCG, which is tipped to attract a world record crowd.

The Ashes are already in the bag, but the Australians have made clear they won't be satisfied with anything short of a 5-0 series whitewash.

Warne's announcement that he will retire after the fifth Test in Sydney, and speculation that Glenn McGrath is also set to pull the pin, has dominated the sporting public's attention.

But Australian coach John Buchanan said it would not distract the team from its aim of continuing to assert its authority over England.

"That's something we will talk about ... dealing with the distractions that will continue over the next two Test matches, and really trying to finish on a high note," Buchanan said.

"Our mission here is not only to win the Ashes but also to establish a huge gap between us and England."

Warne is also determined to end his international career with a clean sweep against the old enemy.

"As far as I'm concerned we've got two Test matches to play and I just want to finish the series on a high," he said.

"I think if we can win 5-0 that would be a fantastic achievement for a great team."

England is anxious to avoid the humiliation of a series whitewash, after already suffering the ignominy of having tenure of the Ashes for the briefest time in the series' history.

The English team will be training at the MCG.

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