Are the Aussies just off the boil or is it an ageing side coming back to the pack? The latter I’m afraid, and mores the pity for cricket as they have set the benchmark for so long.

We saw the Australians win five of their six Tests against a good South Africa team recently but the fact they had to go back and rely on some of their older players was a contrast to the way England managed an impressive drawn series in India with the next generation while they were missing half of their Ashes-winning team.

Many teams have been briefly competitive but not consistently like Australia, but payback time may just be around the corner. How long can Shane Warne’s enthusiasm last and with him out of the side and Glenn McGrath nearing the end, only Lee emerges as a world-class bowler and one is not enough.

Good planning and reverse swing so deftly used by Andrew Flintoff and Simon Jones rocked the Aussies last year but I think the Aussies will be better prepared in the next Ashes series. That’s not to say that England cannot win, indeed they can, but it will be against a side better prepared.

Weighing the two sides up leaves one feeling there is nothing in it although there are standouts in a couple of areas. England have ‘Freddie’, the best all-rounder and a true match-winner (only Jacques Kallis might disagree). Oz have Adam Gilchrist, also a proven match-winner and way ahead of his counterpart Geraint Jones.

Then there is Ricky Ponting, whose outstanding form must elevate him to the Tendulkar, Lara status. Both sides are well stocked in the batting department so it comes down to the bowling and fielding. Sydney, so renowned as a spinner’s paradise, should give the Aussies the edge but Brisbane, Perth and Melbourne might lean to the seamers especially if the groundsmen are bowler-friendly in their thinking.

Adelaide is traditionally a belter and a draw there is a real possibility so take your pick. There is no doubt it will be a pressure-filled series and now England, under Duncan Fletcher, have a newfound confidence, they will not be taking any backward steps in light of the known Australian aggression. It should be a humdinger!

South Africa were whitewashed by Australia for the first time in one hundred years, sounds terrible but in essence it was a lot closer than statistics reveal and with better catching and more aggression to cease opportunities, South Africa could well have squared the series in Oz and would only have lost one Test in South Africa.

Although there is bound to be some soul searching, South Africa are nearly there but like Australia they have an ageing attack and Shaun Pollock, a mighty bowler still, has a lot of miles on the clock and might just be nursing himself to eke out a few more years.

South Africa’s Achilles heel is very evident, no spinner of significance. Nicky Boje does a good holding job but has trouble bowling sides out and without a true, class spinner it is hard to take out the best.

When Graeme Smith was injured Jacques Kallis did very well as stand-in captain and came within an ace of winning the last test. The way he marshaled everyone and the way he himself led with the ball was an example. It was a new Kallis and begs the question ‘Why doesn’t it happen all the time?’ It’s a question he should look at and provide the answer.

Two final issues that really need addressing by the ICC are the amount of cricket played and also the need for a real and meaningful voice for the players to express concerns and ideas without fear of reprisal from boards.

These are two issues hampering the development of the game and elevating the “them and us” attitude that exists between payers and administrators. Until issues like this are addressed cricket is the loser. But at least we can rely on another Ashes battle soon to put the smile back on the face of world cricket.