Australia legend Shane Warne believes there are "a lot of gaps" in the current Test side and has claimed that "no one fears Australia anymore".
Ahead of this winter's Ashes series, Warne has delivered a scathing assessment of the Australia team.
He highlighted concerns about the form of star players David Warner, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc, before going on to state that Tim Paine has "had a shocker the last couple of years as captain".
Speaking on Fox Cricket's 'World Cup Live', Warne said: "When you think back to Australia and think back to Ashes series in Australia, England have been very, very poor for a long time when they come to Australia.
"But I just look at the Australian side and there’s a lot of gaps.
"Our fast bowlers – Pat Cummins looks short of a gallop and we know he’s going to come good because he’s world class. But Starc’s nowhere, [Josh] Hazlewood’s bowling well.
"But apart from that, we’ve got [David] Warner not making a run. Who’s he going to open with?
"[Marnus] Labuschagne and [Steve] Smith at three and four, but who’s going to bat five? [Cameron] Green is still a young player that looks pretty good.
"Paine, he’s had a shocker the last couple of years as captain, tactically he’s been very poor, lost the last two series and can’t make a run.
"Our side’s not as great, this ‘almighty Australia’. But here’s the big thing: No one fears Australia anymore.
"Coming to Australia, everyone used to go ‘oh we’re going to have to be at our best to even compete’. Now they just believe they can beat Australia – every side."
Warne also insisted that England should not be taken lightly and predicted that the series will be "very, very close".
"I look at England and I think their batting looks really weak. But Ben Stokes, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, [Jos] Buttler has this form and suddenly they’re looking pretty good," he added.
"Their bowlers, [James] Anderson and [Stuart] Broad haven’t done that well here in Australia, but they’ll bowl well enough.
"It’s who’s going to be with them … What spinner? Jack Leach with the old Kookaburra ball?
"You’d say Australia are favourites, but given their recent form in the last few years here in Australia – we were been beaten by India’s C-team last year and we were really poor tactically – I think it’s going to be very, very close. I think it’ll be a good Ashes series."
