Boycott praises England

Boycott says Harmison (left) and Flintoff (right) have been England's best players

Cricket legend Geoffrey Boycott says England are a very good team but warns they should not get carried away with their success this summer.

England won all seven Tests against New Zealand and West Indies but Boycott said the big test was still to come against Australia next year.

Boycott told BBC Radio Five Live: "I think they (England) are a very good side who have played excellent cricket.

"The West Indies were very poor but that's not our fault."

The former England batsman believes fast bowler Steve Harmison and all-rounder Andrew Flintoff should receive the most plaudits.

He told the Sportsweek programme: "You have got to have bowlers to bowl people out.

We will see how good we are as a side and how good the coach is when the Aussies arrive Geoffrey Boycott

"Us batsmen put you in a position to win but it's the bowlers who do the business and take the wickets."

Boycott says if England can work on their fourth seamer, James Anderson, then they will have a complete team.

Anderson took 4-52 in the final Test after struggling for form most of the summer.

"If he can bowl for England like he did at The Oval where I was really impressed by the way be made the ball move around in the second innings," Boycott said.

"We can't just keep relying on Harmison and Flintoff in case one of them gets injured."

England play Australia next summer, after a potentially tough winter tour to South Africa.

Boycott added: "The test will come for everybody next year when the Aussies come.

"We will see how good we are as a side and how good the coach is.

"He [Duncan Fletcher] must be doing something right because the team's playing well.

"And the captain and the players must be doing something right because they are playing very good cricket."

For us to start thinking of the Ashes now would be wrong Andrew Strauss

England opener Andrew Strauss endorsed Boycott's views.

Strauss, who has only ever played in a winning England side, said: "It's been absolutely fantastic. You try and play as good cricket as you can and I really believe we have achieved something special this summer.

"But they real key for us will be to go to South Africa and win that series.

"If we can do that we will come into the Ashes in a fantastic frame of mind.

"For us to start thinking of the Ashes now would be wrong."