Benaud on England's Ashes hopes

Frist, the good news. One of the most respected Australian cricket commentators thinks that England have a good chance of retaining the Ashes. Now the bad news. Richie Benaud is taking the credit for encouraging Shane Warne to play one more series in England, in 2009, writes Patrick Kidd in The Times.

Benaud may have said his last “Morning everyone” on British television, but his task of lifting England fans out of despondency is not over. “I hold exactly the same position that I held 18 months ago, before the last series,” he said. “I said that if England had a fast-bowling attack that was fit and bowling well, they would win the Ashes.