Amla says England can cause Ashes upset

South Africa Test captain Hashim Amla is tipping England to ‘do well’ against Australia despite recent disappointing results and the current chaos surrounding English cricket.

The England and Wales Cricket Board sacked coach Peter Moores last Saturday and while assistant Paul Farbrace is taking the reins for the New Zealand tour, a new mentor is expected to be in place by the time the Ashes begins in July.

Moores was given his marching orders after England were dumped from the group stage of the World Cup and drew last month’s Test series against the West Indies 1-1.

New ECB Director of Cricket Andrew Strauss has already copped criticism since taking on the role last weekend after announcing controversial batsman Kevin Pietersen would not be part of England’s plans for the Ashes.

Despite the turmoil - and England’s fifth place on the ICC Test team rankings compared to Australia at No.2 - Amla said he did not believe the visitors would find it easy to win their first Ashes series on English soil since 2001.

“I can see England doing well against Australia,” Amla told the London Evening Standard.

“With a lot more bowler-friendly conditions in England, hopefully, it will be a good series.

“At the top of cricket it is (South Africa) and Australia but England at home are quite a good team.

“To win they will have to bat well and do well in all the disciplines. Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad are still very good bowlers and both have troubled me at different times.”

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Amla, who is currently in England playing for county team Derbyshire, said the recent good form of veteran paceman James Anderson – who in the Caribbean became England’s highest-ever wicket-taker and rose to No.2 in the Test bowler rankings – meant he could make life very difficult for Australia’s batsmen.

Image Id: ~/media/27380BD85C8D40458D20DDD633537E6CEngland will hope James Anderson proves tricky for Australia // Getty Images 

“The conditions in England certainly suit him and his style of swinging the ball,” Amla said.

“A wonderful swing bowler, in the last few years, he has certainly been one of the top seam bowlers in the world along with Dale Steyn, Mitchell Johnson, Vernon Philander.”

Amla’s last experience against the Australia Test team came in February and March last year, when the visitors claimed a 2-1 series win on South African soil.

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The batsman said it was too soon to tell how Michael Clarke’s men – who sit 22 points behind No.1 side South Africa in the rankings – compared to other successful Australia Test XIs, including the one which last won the Ashes in England in 2001.

“They are a good team,” Amla said.

“It’s a bit early to tell if they are as good.

“Then, they had Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath, the two outstanding bowlers of their generation.

“Johnson is a different type of bowler to McGrath. McGrath bowled more in the good areas (while) Johnson is a bit more attacking.”