 Allan Lamb played 20 Tests against Australia between 1982 and 1991 |
Former England captain Allan Lamb has rubbished Dennis Lillee's claim that Australia have the better bowling attack and will win back the Ashes. Ex-Aussie paceman Lillee has questioned England's ability to take 20 wickets. But Lamb told BBC Sport: "I think Dennis Lillee has lost it. He's talking absolute nonsense. He must be drinking that Bundaberg rum or something. "I think on paper the England side is a far better all-round team and they should win pretty comfortably 3-1." The mudslinging between two veterans of Ashes past has added extra spice to the build-up to a five-Test series that begins in Brisbane on 25 November. England fly out on Friday for the start of a tour in which they will hope to win the Ashes on Australian soil for the first time since 1987.  | 606: DEBATE |
Since then, England have mustered only three victories in 25 Tests in Australia, but a recent slump by Ricky Ponting's side has raised hopes that Andrew Strauss's men can hold on to the famous urn they captured in England in 2009. However Lillee, whose new ball partnership with Jeff Thompson tore England apart in the 1974/75 series, said Australia's attack is better-equipped than England's to bowl the opposition out twice. "If I look at both attacks I think Australia - even without [Shane] Warne and [Glenn] McGrath - have a better attack than England," he said. "England's spinning attack - they may use spin twins [Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar] - may be better than ours because Nathan Hauritz is still evolving, but overall our attack is better and that's where games are won." Lamb, a member of Mike Gatting's triumphant 1986-87 side, expressed a different opinion. The former middle order batsman is confident that England seamers James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Steven Finn and Chris Tremlett can be a handful in Australian conditions, and believes off-spinner Swann could prove the difference between the sides. "Swann will be a huge trump card," he said. "He's got better figures than Warne at the same stage of their careers. "I certainly wouldn't lose any sleep over their spinners."
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