Matthews' comments unlikely to bother resurgent England

Former Australian all-rounder Greg Matthews has issued a warning to England's victorious Test cricketers.

"I am supremely confident that Australia will triumph by a clear two-Test margin," Matthews claimed.

Far from being impressed by England's continued run of fine form and their crushing of Pakistan at Lord's, Matthews preferred to point to the weakness of the opposition.

"I am just looking at the black-and-white facts," Matthews told BBC Radio Five Live. "Pakistan were exceptionally weak and England bowled exceptionally well - full marks to you,"

Matthews conceded that Caddick or Gough had bowled well for England but insisted that neither would make it into the Australian team.

"I think our bowling attack is terrific," he said. "We have got the greatest fast bowler in the world at the moment in McGrath, we have got the quickest in Lee who is chomping at the bit and then we have got someone special in Gillespie. Damien Fleming bowls awesome swing, we have got the greatest spinner in the history of the game (Shane Warne)," he continued.

"Caddick has done extremely well, but I just think that if you weighed them up man for man, who could squeeze into the Australian team? Goughie has just taken 200 Test wickets and he is inspirational, but he is not going to knock any of our guys out of the team. I am sorry Goughie, you are in my team, but on the bench."

In something of a surprise Matthews urged England to prepare turning pitches, contrary to most expectations that seamers will be the dominant force this summer.

"I think I am being generous giving you a Test," Matthews said, " but that's only because the only chance you have got is to prepare an absolute Bunsen Burner (turner) because that is the only weakness that Australia have shown over the last 15 years.

"They do very well on seasoned wickets, they are exceptionally well lead, they are very well structured. There is not one stone that has been left unturned."

England are unlikely to take any notice of Matthews' less than generous comments however. They have upset the form book often in the last 12-months, winning on the sub-continent while Australia lost, and Matthews' remarks came on the day that Gough rose to fourth in the world rankings, ahead of Lee, Gillespie, Warne and Fleming.

Nasser Hussain, too, is unlikely to pay much attention. He admitted to finding England's turn around in fortunes so swift that even he was surprised.

"At the moment you have to pinch yourself a bit, but success breeds confidence and the good memories from last year stay with you and next time we come to Lord's there will be good memories again," he said.

"We are playing some good cricket at Lord's and we've turned things around ourselves and when that happens the crowd gets behind us. Some of the noise during that Test I've not heard, apart from last year, for a long time, the noise and the roar when Gough and Caddick run in lifts the whole side and it puts pressure on the opposition."

Gough insisted that England have acquired a winning habit that will stand them in good stead.

"We're a good side, we have character, we have experience and we've got the habit of winning at the moment and if we can keep it going, it does make a difference," he said.

"It's just like Manchester United in football, who've had a decent run over the last few years and they believe they are going to win the league every year. They have that belief and if you have that, you will take some beating. The last few Test matches, with the wins in Pakistan and Sri Lanka and the win at Lord's in the first Test of the summer when the pressure was on us to perform, has given us that."