Australia are getting stronger - Warne

	Shane Warne is confident that Australia can overcome the loss of key players © AFP

The general consensus is that Australia begin their series against India at the most vulnerable they have been for a generation. The team will include a debutant spinner, a wicketkeeper still trying to find his feet and a middle order missing the allround presence of Andrew Symonds. However, Shane Warne has said this current team can become as good as any he played in during a golden era for Australian cricket.

Warne took 14 wickets on Australia's last tour of India in 2004-05, dubbed their final frontier, as they won 2-1 largely under the leadership of Adam Gilchrist, who was standing in for an injured Ricky Ponting. Also key to that series victory were the performances of Damien Martyn, Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Michael Kasprowicz. None of them are around this time, but Warne hasn't seen anything to make him think the team is in decline.

"We are getting stronger," Warne said. "If you look at the batting line-up, [Simon] Katich and [Phil] Jaques are fighting for a spot and Michael Clarke is back at the top of his game. Shane Watson can challenge Andrew Flintoff as best allrounder in the world and Andrew Symonds isn't there. Our batting is very strong.

"In the bowling, we all know what Stuart Clark can do, Brett Lee has had a great year and Mitchell Johnson gives you variation. If we can find a spinner it can be as good a side as we have ever had."

Warne was in London for the launch of his new book, Warne's Century, where he picks out the 100 greatest cricketers he played for and against and, while the imminent series in India was a popular topic, it didn't take much for next year's Ashes series to be mentioned. For the first time since 1990-91, Warne won't be involved, but that didn't stop him from having a jibe at the sudden influx of confidence around English cricket since Kevin Pietersen took charge.

"I'd like to see England win something," he said. "South Africa just won 2-1 and they've only got a couple of batsmen. I'd be excited by the one-day side, but in Tests the main thing is to start winning some series. That's what happened before the last Ashes series.

"I suppose it was exciting for England to win a dead rubber [at The Oval]. But when someone new takes over it generally goes well because everyone is excited. It was encouraging, but I wouldn't be getting my hopes up. If they build some momentum they can give the Aussies a real shake, but if they keep losing then I think Australia will thrash them."

For all Warne's bluster, however, England will begin the Ashes superior in the department he made his own: spin bowling. Monty Panesar will take his place for England, but the identity of who he'll be up against isn't clear. Jason Krejza and Cameron White are the spinners in India, vying for a Test debut at Bangalore, while Bryce McGain - who will be 37 by the time the Ashes start - "is the best spinner in Australia" according to Warne but is now injured. However, a lack of slow-bowling talent isn't a problem only affecting Australia.

"Spin bowling worldwide is a little bit bare," Warne said. "You go through all the spinners who have played in the last decade - Murali, Saqlain, Harbhajan, Kumble, myself - and we've been lucky. Kumble and a few others are coming to the end and there's been a lot of them who have disappeared. You look at sides now and can't see where the spinners are."

One of Warne's roles since ending his international career has been to work with Cricket Australia to bring through the next batch of spinners. He stressed how it isn't just a case of working with the bowlers themselves, but also the coaches and captains.

"It's vital that captains understand their role. It's not about putting two bat-pads in and there you go. I wasn't going to work with CA unless I had the coaches and captains on board as well. It's been quite interesting to hear the mindsets of captains. Often the spinners are an afterthought; forty overs, two guys on fifty, come and have a bowl. That's the hardest time for a spinner.

"A lot of spinners today just bowl the ball and wait for the batsmen to make a mistake. The average batsman might do that, but the good players will make 200. I've been trying to educate the spinners and captains about what plans to come up with and hopefully they can work together." If anyone can help them, Warne can.