‘A lot of gaps’: Shane Warne’s bitter Ashes pill for Australia

If you’re thinking that Australia are going to romp it home in the Ashes series, spin king Shane Warne reckons you may have to think again.

Shane Warne didn't hold back. Photo: Fox Sports

Australian cricket Shane Warne has issued a stark reality check for the coming Ashes summer, saying that “no one fears Australia any more”.

The spin king turned commentator also said that Australia has plenty of gaps still to fill with a matter of weeks before the December 8 first Test in Brisbane, including Mitchell Starc, who he said “is nowhere”, and captain Tim Paine, who he said has “had a shocker”.

It comes as Aussie quick Pat Cummins continues to be backed to take over the captaincy as Steve Waugh joined the chorus of backers.

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Speaking before New Zealand’s T20 World Cup clash with Scotland, Brendan Julian said that he had though the Ashes would be “one-sided” but England’s T20 World Cup performance had changed his mind.

But while England had impressed, Warne said that Australia still had a lot of questions to answer.

“When you think back to an Ashes series in Australia, England have been very very poor for a long time when they come to Australia, but I just look at the Australian side and there are a lot of gaps,” he said.

“I think of our fast bowlers, Pat Cummins looks short of a gallop. We know he’s going to come good because he’s world-class, but Starc’s nowhere, Hazlewood’s bowling well. Apart from that, we’ve got Warner, not making a run. Who’s he going to open with? Labuschagne, Smith at three, four. Who’s going to bat five? Green’s still a young player, looks pretty good. Paine, he’s had a shocker the last couple of years as captain, tactically he’s been very poor, lost two series, can’t make a run. So our side is not that great to be honest.”

Mark Waugh replied: “We’re going to lose 4-0 are we?”

But Warne continued to send a reality check to those who think it’s going to be a walkover.

“Now here’s the big thing, no one fears Australia any more,” he said. “Coming to Australia, everyone used to go ‘oh god, we’re going to have to be at our best to even compete’. Now they believe they can beat Australia, every side.”

Cop that Paine. Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

Cop that Starc. Photo by Aamir QURESHI / AFP

England’s initial squad was savaged by its own media but 2019 Ashes saviour Ben Stokes had been added to the squad last week and the world has changed its tune.

The inspirational all rounder as well as England’s T20 World Cup domination over Australia, Jos Buttler’s hundred against Sri Lanka and Joe Root chasing the all-time record for Test runs in a calendar year have brightened the visitors’ chances.

And Warne agrees that things are looking a lot better for the Poms.

“I look at England and I think their batting looks really weak, but Ben Stokes, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler has this sort of form — suddenly they’re looking pretty good.

“And their bowlers — Anderson, Broad haven’t done that well here in Australia, but they’ve done well enough to know who they’re going to be with them. Wood with his pace, who’s the spinner? Jack Leach with the old Kookaburra ball.

“Look, you’d say Australia are favourites but given their form in the last few years in Australia … we were beaten by India’s C team last year and we were really poor tactically. I think it’s going to be very very close, I think it’s going to be a good Ashes series.”

Waugh was a bit more positive on Australia’s chances despite plenty going in England’s favour.

Why Stokes is to be feared. Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images

He said that Stokes’ inclusion gave England a chance.

“Without Stokes, I gave them no chance because that batting just looked so weak apart from Joe Root,” Waugh said. “The rest of the squad averaging 30 in Test cricket, that's not going to beat Australia. Stokes has got to play really well, which is going to be hard for him because he hasn’t played a lot of cricket so he’s going to take a while to get into it.

“I can see England being competitive in a few Tests, maybe the Adelaide Test match where it’s going to swing and you’ve got the pink ball, I think they’re a threat there. I don’t think their spin is a threat at all. Australia should win.”

He continued to say that Travis Head should bat five and that Usman Khawaja and Marcus Harris will battle it out for the opening spot.

Warne added that it would be “a backwards step” if Khawaja got the nod.

He also backed the likes of D’Arcy Short, Marcus Stoinis and Mitchell Marsh as left field choices in the middle order.