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Ashes hero Sir Ian Botham has told the current England team that nothing compares with the thrill of beating Australia on home soil.
England will arrive down under in eight months’ time as the holders of cricket’s most revered trophy.
But they have been unable to win a Test series in Australia since 1987, back when Botham was still in his prime.
And Andrew Strauss’s team will have no fond memories of their last tour down under in 2006-07 when they were whitewashed 5-0 by a Ricky Ponting-led outfit desperate for redemption after handing over the urn in 2005 for the first time in nearly two decades.
“I think there were a lot of lessons learnt after 2005,” said Botham, who is in Abu Dhabi to attend the Laureus World Sport Awards.
“The last couple of Ashes series have been magnificent, with the exception of when England swanned into Australia in 2007 still enjoying the success of a year and a half previous.
“We just turned up and thought we’d rock and roll and play and it would all happen, and we got our arses kicked enormously around Australia for three months.
“It was pretty embarrassing and I think England will have learnt a lot from that.
“Their preparation will be more intense and I do believe they have a realistic chance of winning down there, which they haven’t done for a long time.
“As I try and tell the England players, it’s great to win the Ashes but believe me, if you want to really do it and really enjoy it, beat them in their own backyard.”
Another retired England skipper, Michael Vaughan, agreed 2010-11 would be the first time in many years that England would travel to Australia with a real chance of success.
“The England side have got a good vibrancy about them, they’ve got a good amount of confidence,” said Vaughan who retired last year after an 81-Test career, the highlight of which was captaining the victorious 2005 team against Australia.
“They’re getting key players back to form, getting people like Kevin Pietersen back to form will be a key ingredient in England’s success down under.”
Vaughan felt if Australia did have an edge it was in the fast bowling department.
“We maybe lack a little bit of pace and if Australia are clever I’m sure they will produce quick bouncy wickets as South Africa did in the last game at the Wanderers (which England lost by an innings and 74 runs in January, allowing the home side to draw the series 1-1),” he said.
“We became a little unstuck on that kind of pitch.”
The five-Test Ashes series begins in Brisbane on November 25.
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