Kevin Pietersen fears Australia will expose three England players in the Ashes

Kevin Pietersen fears Australia will expose England’s top-three during the Ashes and run away with the series.

England are looking to regain the Ashes they lost in 2017-18 but face an Australia side that were crowned world Test champions last week.

‘My heart, of course, wants England to win,’ Pietersen said. ‘But I think that Australia have a very good chance, just because I don’t think England’s one, two, and three match up. I just don’t think they do.

‘I want 3-2 England, but I fear it might be 4-1 Australia.’

England have been blown away in two of the last three Ashes series but boast an impressive record at home, with Australia not winning on these shores in over 20 years.

While Australia thumped England 4-0 in the last Ashes series and beat India in the recent World Test Championship final, they face a team who have won 11 of their last 13 Tests under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum.

But Pietersen doubts England will be able to play their ‘positive and aggressive’ brand of cricket against Australia and expects the top-three – Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope – to struggle.

‘The tactic to beat Australia is to be positive and be aggressive, however, you still need to have the players that are good enough to be able to do that,’ Pietersen told Betway.

‘My main concern with this England team is that their players aren’t good enough. One, two, and three aren’t good enough to play that way against what Australia have in the bowling department.

‘I really hope they prove me wrong, but this could be career-defining for them as batters.’

On the threat of Australia, Pietersen added: ‘As combative and as aggressive as you want to be, this Australian team are actually very, very good.

‘Scotty Boland is a buddy of mine, I played with him at the Melbourne Stars for a long time, he is a proper bowler. To just start smacking him, it’s not easy.

‘You’ve got Cummins and Stark, and Hazlewood is back. They also have a very, very high-quality spinner.

‘Then their batting line-up: Smith, Labuschagne, Warner, Head, Carey. These guys are no mugs. Cameron Green batting at six, he is a proper cricketer.

‘This Australia side have some serious quality.’

Edgbaston plays host to the first Ashes Test on Friday before the five-match series heads to Lord’s, Headingley, Old Trafford and The Oval.

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