Australian great Ricky Ponting has returned serve following criticism of Australia's batsman ahead of the upcoming Ashes series.
Sir Ian Botham and Graeme Swann both questioned the quality of Australia's batting line-up. Botham described the top order as "one of the poorest I've seen", while Swann also labelled it "one of the weakest (batting) line-ups they have had".
However, Ponting scoffed as suggestions Australia's batsman aren't up to it, telling cricket.com.au the English have far more selection problems than the hosts.
"I’ve been a bit more outward than normal about this one because I honestly think that Australia will win really easily," Ponting said.
"If you look through the current England team, they're searching for an opener, they’re searching for a number three, Stokes mightn’t be there, a couple of their quicks have gone down.
"(England quicks James) Anderson and (Stuart) Broad, as good as they’ve been over the years, I think they’re on the steady decline. They’re not going to get better from here as cricketers, (though) they're hanging on to a reasonably high level of performance.
"Then you match it up against our team and we’ve got (Mitchell) Starc, (Pat) Cummins and (Josh) Hazlewood who are skyrocketing – those guys are on the up.
"And you see this around all sporting teams, you look at guys that are on the way up, that are starting to progress. If they get a sniff early then they’ll run with it and they’ll be near unstoppable, those three guys.
"(Spinner) Nathan Lyon’s last few years have been outstanding, so I just think right now England have got more gaps and more cause for concern in, not only in their eleven but in their entire squad, than what Australia have.
"I reckon they’re going okay, those blokes, I don’t reckon it’s that weak at all."
Ponting went on to predict a 4-0 series win for Australia.
"I think they (Botham and Swann) should be looking in their own backyards before they start worrying about ours," Poting added.
"I don’t remember seeing too many England teams, certainly in the last 15 years anyway, with some of the batsmen that I’ve seen them play over the last six to eight months.
"Some of the guys I’ve seen I’m not too enamoured with.
"My prediction is that I think it will be four-nil Australia, and I think the best chance that England have got will be in Adelaide where a night game, pink ball, the night time conditions will suit Anderson and Broad down to the ground.
"But if they don’t win that one, I can’t see them winning one."
The first Test begins at the Gabba on November 23.
