John Buchanan backs Oz 'firepower' to exploit 'dour, predictable' England in winter Ashes

Former Australian coach John Buchanan, who was responsible for Australia's last Ashes triumph, has said he believes that his former side has the necessary 'firepower' to exploit England's 'dour and predictable' game plan and win the winter Ashes series.

Buchanan shares leg-spin great Shane Warne's view that England's tactics under Alastair Cook are boring and defensive and believes that Australia can trigger England's downfall as the tourists do not have the personnel to play a more attacking game successfully.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Buchanan described England as 'not a great side' and said that the team's only dangerous players are Kevin Pietersen, James Anderson and Graeme Swann, backed by 'solid types' such as captain Alastair Cook, Ian Bell, Matt Prior and Stuart Broad.

Rating the likes of Michael Clarke, David Warner, Shane Watson, Steve Smith, Ryan Harris and Mitchell Johnson as being equally as dangerous as England's most damaging trio, Buchanan said that Australia has a good chance of success if England changes their game, adding that England does not have the capacity and capabilities within their current group to be far more aggressive.

Buchanan further said that England also cannot attack the bowling and batting of their opposite side on a more regular basis, adding that the side's predictability was both a strength and a weakness.

Stating that England's only wildcard with the bat was Pietersen, Buchanan also said that a player needs to be scoring runs at a reasonable rate to keep advancing the game, adding that England's strategy is built on batting for as long as they can in either innings, preferably the first, and then try to control it from there.

Buchanan wanted to see stroke players such as Warner, Watson, Clarke, Smith and Brad Haddin attack England's bowlers when appropriate - particularly if they fell into the trap of bowling too short in Australian conditions, saying that bowlers who are not used to the Gabba pitch never get used to the right length.