Advantage Aussies in bowler battle: Waugh

Australia's Qantas Test series against South Africa has been billed as a battle between the two best bowling attacks in the world, but former Test skipper Steve Waugh believes it's the Australians who hold the advantage in that department.

And he says Australia's quartet of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon could be as good as any attack from any era if they can stay fit.

Australia's four-man frontline attack and seaming allrounder Mitchell Marsh will take on a Proteas side that, based on their recent series against India, will feature five key bowlers; swing king Vernon Philander, imposing pace duo Kagiso Rabada and Morne Morkel, young quick Lungi Ngidi and spinner Keshav Maharaj.

The Proteas legendary quick Dale Steyn is battling injury but could feature in the back half of the four-Test series if he can prove his fitness.

Test cricket's most successful captain, Waugh believes the Australian attack is the best in the world right now and could be one of the best ever.

"Australia's attack is potentially an all-time great attack," Waugh was quoted as saying by sport24.co.za ahead of the Laureus World Sports Awards in Monaco.

"The three quicks – Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood – and Nathan Lyon are as good as any attack right now or in any previous era. They're only going to get better.

"If we keep our top attack on the park in those four (Tests), then we're going to be very hard to beat.

"But if you get a couple of injuries and you take one or two of those bowlers out, it's a different story. But right now I think our attack is the best in world cricket."

And in conditions that are expected to favour the bowlers far more than the recent Magellan Ashes series, Waugh said it will be up to the respective batting sides to step up and determine the outcome of the upcoming series.

"These are two of the best bowling attacks in the world coming together," he said.

"It's up to the batters ... whichever batting unit performs better will win the series because both bowling attacks are pretty potent and capable of taking 20 wickets."

Even though the Proteas will be without Steyn for at least the start of the series, the arrival of Ngidi in the Indian series – he was named player-of-the-match on Test debut – means the hosts will still have a potent fast-bowling attack to choose from.

And the emergence of Philander as a batsman capable of coming in at No.7 means the Proteas can pick four frontline bowlers alongside him, meaning there will be little respite for Australia's batsmen.

Even Australia's fast-bowling coach David Saker, speaking last week, couldn't hide his excitement at the prospect of his own bowlers coming up against the dangerous Proteas attack.

"It would be great just to watch as a neutral to be fair," Saker said.

"They look a serious bowling team and they've got some depth now. To take Dale Steyn out of a team and you still think you can get your 20 wickets quite easily that's quite encouraging for them. You look at their team and the bowling attack and it's quite a strong attack.

"But in our camp we've got a really good attack and we're pretty confident we can bowl very well to them.

"It's going to be a great series, some really good fast bowling and some batters are going to have to bat well to get some runs."

The first Test starts in Durban on Thursday.

Qantas tour of South Africa

South Africa squad: Faf du Plessis (c), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock, Theunis de Bruyn, AB de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada.

Australia squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Cameron Bancroft, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Jon Holland, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine, Jhye Richardson, Chadd Sayers, Mitchell Starc.

Warm-up match: Australia beat South Africa A by five wickets. Report, highlights

First Test Kingsmead, Durban, March 1-5. Live coverage

Second Test St George's Park, Port Elizabeth, March 9-13. Live coverage

Third Test Newlands, Cape Town, March 22-26. Live coverage

Fourth Test Wanderers, Johannesburg, March 30-April 3. Live coverage