Here he previews what could be one of the most evenly matched contests between Australia and England for more than a decade.

I'm really looking forward to this series. There is always something very, very special about Tests between England and Australia.

When I was an umpire I really enjoyed taking charge of Ashes matches - the atmosphere was always so good.

England's recent record against Australia isn't impressive - but this time I think they've got a chance.

Aussie trio are the key

A lot will depend on the fitness of key players - and in particular three Australian bowlers, Jason Gillespie, Glenn McGrath and, of course, Shane Warne.

Gillespie: A danger to England

Together they are the spearhead of the Australian attack and if they're fit and firing it won't be easy for England.

Gillespie is a fine fast bowler, but he's had a bad back for a while now.

McGrath had surgery on a long-term groin problem - but he took part in the Aussies' historic victory in Pakistan, so I would have thought he'd be fit for the Ashes.

Then we come to the real dangerman, Warne.

We keep hearing reports from down under about the state of the leg-spinner's shoulder. They say he won't be fit for the first two Tests.

But don't be so sure - it wouldn't surprise me if they were just kidding us.

If McGrath, Warne and Gillespie all turn out to be fit England will have real problems.

Because the one thing about these three bowlers is that they are all genuine match-winners - they can turn Tests.

And that is the thing about Test cricket, the good teams have to be able to bowl sides out twice.

Gough can do Yorkshire proud

But England fans shouldn't be down-hearted, because we have a match-winner of our own - my fellow Yorkshireman Darren Gough.

Gough: Can lead our Ashes glory bid

Gough is England's main strike bowler and he could play a significant role in the outcome of the series.

He is a tremendous fast bowler and if he stays fit we have a chance.

In fact England have a good all-round attack this time around.

Dominic Cork and Angus Fraser are good bowlers on their day and should provide useful support for Gough.

And Alan Mullally could force his way into the Test side. His left-arm over the wicket offers something different for England and he could cause problems on the fast, bouncy pitches in Australia, where he was brought up.

Tufnell was England's one mistake

I think the selectors did a terrific job picking the squad they did.

But if I'd been a selector I would probably have taken Phil Tufnell.

Spin has been a weak point in the England attack for a long time now, but the one thing about Tufnell is that he's a match-winner.

Peter Such and Robert Croft are good bowlers, but I think we need some variation and Tufnell's left-arm spin would have provided that.

Crawley's the man to watch

But if Australia's first-choice attack looks more impressive than England's, when it comes to the batting things are very even.

Crawley: Simply the best last summer

Australia have a very good batting line-up and the star for me is Steve Waugh.

He's a tremendous fighter - if I was going over the top in the trenches I'd want him by my side.

Then there's Mark Taylor. He's a great captain, a credit to his profession and, as he showed with his 334 not out against Pakistan, a fine player.

And with Mark Waugh, Darren Lehmann and the young lad Justin Langer in there as well, there is real strength for Australia.

But England's batting is also very good. It's a settled line-up for once and we bat right down, with John Crawley coming in at No.6.

For me there's no argument - Crawley was the best batsman I saw last season and I think he's got to play in the side.

If he was given a run in the Test team I think he would be a tremendous success.

But the thing about this England squad is there are seven top players fighting for six Test places - and that can only be a good thing.

Taylor v Stewart - the captains' contest

The role of the two captains could be important.

Taylor: No other Test captain comes close

Taylor is the best captain in world cricket today, without a shadow of a doubt - you've just got to look at his record to see how good he is.

England's skipper Alec Stewart has only been in charge for one summer and you get the feeling he's just there for the short-term.

After the Ashes England will probably start looking for a younger man to take over as captain.

But if England win the series it could all be different.

If Stewart comes home with the Ashes I'm sure he'll be in the job for a long time to come.